La Germania si sta muovendo verso un acquisto differenziato di Super Hornets, Growlers ed Eurofighter Typhoons per sostituire i datati cacciabombardieri Tornado
Secondo quanto riferito da alcune agenzie stampa, la Luftwaffe acquisirà:
- fino a 90 Eurofighter,
- 30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
- e 15 EA-18G Growlers
per sostituire il resto della sua flotta operativa di caccia Panavia Tornado.
L'approvvigionamento diviso non offre una risposta facile per la richiesta della Germania di schierare un jet con capacità nucleare, ha detto un funzionario della difesa del Regno Unito.
La Germania prevede di utilizzare il Super Hornet, realizzato dalla società aerospaziale statunitense Boeing, per soddisfare il requisito NATO di schierare un caccia da combattimento in grado di operare con la bomba nucleare NATO B61.
Secondo la pubblicazione tedesca Handelsblatt, che per prima ha riportato l'acquisto frazionato, la Luftwaffe introdurrà in servizio anche i Growlers per sostituire i Tornado ECR che svolgono un ruolo di attacco elettronico.
Perché acquisire caccia non furtivi? Un fornitore di radar tedesco ha confermato di recente di aver tracciato un caccia F-35
Justin Bronk, un ricercatore del Royal United Services Institute ha di recente precisato che soltanto l’F/A-18 Hornet - e non il Super Hornet - risulta attualmente certificato per essere dotato di ordigni nucleari tattici NATO B61; ciò significa che il Super Hornet dovrà passare attraverso un lungo processo di certificazione.
Un portavoce della Boeing, Justin Gibbons, ha di recente confermato che mentre il Super Hornet non è ancora certificato per trasportare la bomba B61, la società ha il sostegno del governo degli Stati Uniti per una imminente integrazione futura.
A suo dire, il Super Hornet F/A-18 è in grado di essere certificato per soddisfare i requisiti della B61 per la Luftwaffe. La Boeing ha una comprovata esperienza nell'integrazione di sistemi d'arma che soddisfano le esigenze sia degli Stati Uniti che dei clienti NATO. Gibbons si è rifiutato di commentare la tempistica della scadenza per la Germania per motivi di riservatezza.
La Germania ha sofferto per anni per la imminente sostituzione dei cacciabombardieri Tornado: sia fattori politici che industriali hanno contribuito a influenzare la posizione del governo tedesco sulla scelta di un nuovo caccia futuro. Nel 2017, il Tenente Generale Karl Muellner, allora capo della Luftwaffe, espresse una forte preferenza per l'F-35 della Lockheed Martin: subito dopo fu rimosso, a quanto si sussurra, per il suo deciso sostegno al jet statunitense; a oggi la Germania risulta aver ufficialmente messo fuori gioco l'F-35.
Questa situazione ha lasciato attualmente in gara:
- l'Eurofighter Typhoon in versione ECR, realizzato dal consorzio guidato da Airbus Germany, dall'italiana Leonardo e dalla britannica BAE Systems;
- l'F/A-18E/F Super Hornet della Boeing.
Il Typhoon ha ricevuto un forte sostegno politico, con Airbus che ha sostenuto che un altro lotto di Eurofighter per la Germania potrebbe aiutare l'industria europea della difesa a colmare il divario tra il Typhoon e il Future Combat Air System di sesta generazione franco-tedesco-spagnolo.
Storicamente, la Germania ha mantenuto una parte della sua flotta di Tornado configurata per utilizzare le bombe nucleari statunitensi B61 come parte di un accordo di condivisione delle possibilità di stryke nucleare NATO.
In caso di conflitto importante con la Russia, i piloti tedeschi sarebbero in grado di equipaggiare i loro caccia con armi nucleari tattiche, decollare e sganciare il carico infernale in base agli accordi della NATO.
Alla fine del 2019, i rapporti indicavano che il pendolo stava oscillando verso un acquisto tedesco di Super Hornets. Sulla base di informazioni del governo degli Stati Uniti, ci sarebbero voluti dai tre ai cinque anni in più per certificare l'Eurofighter per missioni di stryke nucleare.
Mentre l'Eurofighter offre maggiore potenza, portanza e agilità rispetto al Super Hornet, potrebbe essere politicamente più difficile e dispendioso in termini di tempo certificare il Typhoon, poiché il consorzio Eurofighter dovrebbe consegnare alcuni dettagli tecnici al governo statunitense e agli appaltatori della difesa statunitense per integrarlo con la bomba tattica nucleare B61.
Tuttavia, né l’Eurofighter né il Super Hornet sarebbero un sistema di credibile per essere equipaggiati con la B61 a causa della vulnerabilità di entrambe le piattaforme alle moderne difese aeree russe.
L'F-35 non è ancora in grado di trasportare la B61, ma l'integrazione del caccia stealth con la bomba è prevista come parte della fase di modernizzazione del block 4 in corso.
Ad oggi l'acquisto dell'F-35 rappresenterebbe la migliore opportunità per mettere in campo una capacità nucleare su di una linea temporale veloce.
Se si ritiene che il ruolo di “dual capable aircraft” richieda un'effettiva credibilità operativa da parte della Germania, allora l'unica scelta possibile sarà certamente l'F-35A.
Di tutti i potenziali aerei in offerta, l'F-35A è l'unico che rappresenta una soluzione certificata per l’utilizzo dell’ordigno nucleare B61-Mod.12 credibile dal punto di vista operativo. Tale caccia sarà utilizzato anche da molti altri membri europei del raggruppamento nucleare “DCA”, offrendo una formazione e oneri di manutenzione condivisi.
Alla Conferenza internazionale sui caccia-bombardieri di Berlino, Airbus e i suoi partner hanno presentato per la prima volta dettagli concreti sul nuovo concetto di ruolo di combattimento elettronico Eurofighter ECR.
Questo ruolo amplierà le capacità multi-ruolo dell’Eurofighter e aumenterà ulteriormente la sopravvivenza delle forze della coalizione in ambienti ostili.
Le capacità di guerra elettronica collaborativa sono essenziali per le future operazioni aeree combinate.
La capacità iniziale dell’Eurofighter ECR sarà disponibile entro il 2026, seguita da ulteriori fasi di sviluppo e dalla piena integrazione nel futuro sistema di combattimento aereo FCAS.
L’Eurofighter ECR sarà in grado di fornire la posizione di un emettitore passivo, nonché il blocco attivo delle minacce e offrirà una varietà di configurazioni modulari per l'attacco elettronico (EA) e la soppressione / distruzione della difesa aerea nemica (SEAD / DEAD). La più recente tecnologia di jammer garantirà il controllo tedesco su funzioni come i dati di missione e l'analisi dei dati. Il concetto presenta anche una nuova configurazione della cabina di guida a due posti con un display touch panoramico multi-funzione e un cockpit di missione dedicato per il sedile posteriore.
Il concetto è guidato dalle principali compagnie aerospaziali Airbus, Hensoldt, MBDA, MTU, Premium Aerotec, Rolls-Royce e supportato dagli organismi dell'industria nazionale tedesca BDSV e BDLI. Si rivolge specificamente ai requisiti dell'aeronautica tedesca per una capacità di attacco elettronico aereo. Inoltre, è l'unica opportunità di fornire tali capacità sulla base della sovranità nazionale, garantendo nel contempo le tecnologie militari chiave in Germania. Eurofighter è la spina dorsale della difesa aerea tedesca. Con oltre 600 aeromobili contrattualizzati e una forza lavoro di 100.000 persone, è il più grande programma di difesa comune in Europa fino ad oggi.
Il Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, inizialmente conosciuto come McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E Super Hornet (F/A-18F per la versione biposto), è un caccia bimotore imbarcato multiruolo basato sul McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet prodotto dalla Boeing. È una versione ingrandita e avanzata dell'F/A-18C e D dell'Hornet.
Il Super Hornet ha un cannone interno M61A2 da 20 mm, può caricare missili aria-aria, missili aria-superficie e bombe. Può caricare carburante addizionale in cinque serbatoi esterni, inoltre può essere configurato come rifornitore in volo.
Disegnato e inizialmente prodotto dalla McDonnell Douglas, il Super Hornet ha volato la prima volta nel 1995. La produzione in larga scala incominciò nel settembre 1997, dopo la fusione di McDonnell Douglas e Boeing il mese precedente. Il Super Hornet entrò in servizio presso la United States Navy nel 1999, sostituendo il Grumman F-14 Tomcat, il quale è stato ritirato nel 2006, e serve a fianco degli originali Hornet. La Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ha incominciato a utilizzare gli F/A-18A come principale velivolo da caccia dal 1984, e ha inoltre acquistato F/A-18F nel 2007 per sostituire gli ormai obsoleti F-111. I Super Hornet sono entrati in servizio presso la RAAF nel dicembre del 2010. Il Super Hornet è stato ordinato e consegnato in 565 esemplari nelle versioni E e F per United States Navy e in 24 esemplari della versione F per la Royal Australian Air Force:
- F/A-18E: versione di serie monoposto.
- F/A-18F: versione di serie biposto.
- E/A-18G Growler: versione da guerra elettronica del F/A-18F Super Hornet. Entrò in bassa produzione nel 2007, impiegato dalla US Navy nel 2009. L'E/A-18G rimpiazza nella U.S. Navy il Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler.
Super Hornet Block III: Nuova variante del cacciabombardiere imbarcato Super Hornet, denominata Super Hornet Block III, proposta da Boeing per complementare la flotta di F-35C della US Navy oltre il 2030. Il Block III si differenza dall'Advanced Super Hornet, per il fatto che l'enfasi viene posta adesso non più sul miglioramento della capacità stealth del velivolo, ma sull'incremento delle capacità di networking. L'obbiettivo, infatti, è quello di far diventare il Super Hornet un nodo intelligente della rete dell'US Navy IFC-CA (Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air). Per far questo, Boeing propone l'installazione sul velivolo del "super" computer Distributed Targeting Processor-Networked (DTP-N) e del data-link ad alta velocità, basato su protocollo IP, Targeting Network Technology (TNT). A queste modifiche bisogna poi aggiungere un nuovo cockpit con un display "large-area" 10x19 pollici della Elbit, simile a quello proposto per il velivolo con il quale Boeing corre assieme a Saab per la gara T-X e per eventuali future varianti export dell'F-15E Strike Eagle. Nel pacchetto di modifiche rientrano anche altri upgrades già previsti per l'Advanced Super Hornet o che sono in acquisizione per i Super Hornet in servizio. Tra questi, l'IRST a lungo raggio Lockheed Martin AN/ASG-34 (V)1, i serbatoi conformali da 3.5000 galloni, che aumenterebbero il range del velivolo di 150 NM e il "time on station" fino a mezz'ora, l'Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) AN/ALQ-214 della Harris e migliorie al radar AESA Raytheon APG-79. Al momento, non è tuttavia compresa l'adozione del nuovo motore F414-GE-400.
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Germany reportedly moving toward a split buy of Super Hornets, Growlers and Eurofighter Typhoons to replace Tornado jets
The German air force will reportedly buy up to 90 Eurofighters, 30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 15 EA-18G Growlers to replace the remainder of its Panavia Tornado fighter jet fleet, but the split procurement doesn’t offer an easy answer for Germany’s requirement to field a nuclear-capable jet, a U.K. defense think tank said.
Germany plans to use the Super Hornet, made by U.S. aerospace company Boeing, to fill a NATO requirement to field fighter aircraft capable of dropping the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, according to German business publication Handelsblatt, which first reported the split buy. It will also buy Growlers to replace the Tornados that carry out an electronic attack role.
Stealthy no more? A German radar vendor says it tracked the F-35 jet in 2018 — from a pony farm
However, only the legacy F/A-18 Hornet — not the Super Hornet — was ever certified to carry the B61, wrote Justin Bronk, a research fellow with the Royal United Services Institute, a U.K. based thinktank that covers defense issues. That means that the Super Hornet will have to go through the certification process, said Bronk, who called the split buy “the worst of all previously mooted outcomes.”
Boeing spokesman Justin Gibbons said that while the Super Hornet is not yet certified to carry the B61, the company has the U.S. government’s support for future integration.
“The F/A-18 Super Hornet is capable of being certified to meet B61 requirements for Germany under its timeline. Boeing has a proven track record of successfully integrating weapons systems that meet the needs of both U.S. and international customers,” he said. Gibbons declined to comment on the timing of Germany’s deadline for competitive reasons.
Germany has agonized over replacing the Tornado for years, and both political and industrial factors have helped sway the government’s stance on its next tranche of fighters. In 2017, Lt. Gen. Karl Muellner, then the country’s air force chief, expressed a preference for Lockheed Martin’s F-35, but he was later fired reportedly for his outspoken support for the U.S. jet and Germany officially knocked the F-35 out of the competition last year.
This left the race down to either the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is made by a consortium led by Germany’s Airbus, Italy’s Leonardo and the U.K.’s BAE Systems, or Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The Typhoon received strong political support, with Airbus making the case that another batch of Eurofighters for Germany could help the European defense industry bridge the gap between the Typhoon and the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System.
Historically, Germany has kept a portion of its Tornado fleet configured to use U.S. nuclear bombs as part of a NATO nuclear-sharing agreement. In the case of a major war with Russia, German pilots would be able to load their jets with nuclear weapons, take off and drop them on behalf of NATO.
In late 2019, reports indicated that the pendulum was swinging toward a German buy of Super Hornets based on information from the U.S. government stating it would take three to five years longer to certify the Eurofighter for nuclear missions.
Bronk noted that while the Eurofighter offers greater power, lift and agility compared to the Super Hornet, it could be more politically difficult and time-consuming to certify the Typhoon as the Eurofighter consortium would have to hand over some technical details over the to the U.S. government and U.S. defense contractors to integrate it with the B61.
However, “neither Eurofighter nor Super Hornet are a credible delivery system for the B61 against Russian targets due to the vulnerability of both platforms to modern Russian air defenses,” he wrote.
The F-35 is not yet capable of carrying the B61, but integrating the joint strike fighter with the bomb is planned as part of the jet’s ongoing Block 4 modernization phase. However, Bronk said buying the F-35 represented the best chance to fielding an nuclear capable jet on a fast timeline.
“If the DCA “dual capable aircraft” role is considered to require actual operational credibility from Germany, then the only feasible choice is the F-35A. Of all the potential aircraft on offer, the F-35A is the only one which represents an operationally credible B61 Mod 12 delivery solution. It will also be operated by all other European DCA members, offering shared training and maintenance burdens,” he said.
At the International Fighter Conference in Berlin Airbus and its partners introduced for the first time concrete details of the new Eurofighter electronic combat role (ECR) concept.
This role will enlarge Eurofighter’s multi-role capabilities and further increase the survivability of coalition forces in hostile environments.
Collaborative electronic warfare capabilities are essential for future combined air operations.
Initial Eurofighter ECR capability is expected to be available by 2026, followed by further development steps and full integration into the future combat air system (FCAS) ecosystems.
Eurofighter ECR will be able to provide passive emitter location as well as active jamming of threats, and will offer a variety of modular configurations for electronic attack (EA) and suppression/destruction of enemy air defence (SEAD/DEAD). Latest national escort jammer technology will ensure national control over features such as mission data and data analysis. The concept also features a new twin-seat cockpit configuration with a multi-function panoramic touch display and a dedicated mission cockpit for the rear-seat.
The concept is driven by the leading aerospace companies Airbus, Hensoldt, MBDA, MTU, Premium Aerotec, Rolls-Royce and supported by the German national industry bodies BDSV and BDLI. It specifically targets the German Air Force requirements for an airborne electronic attack capability. Furthermore it is the single opportunity to deliver such capabilities on the basis of national sovereignty, whilst also securing key military technologies within Germany.
Eurofighter is the backbone of German air defence. With more than 600 aircraft under contract and a workforce of 100.000 it is the largest collaborative defence programme in Europe to date.
The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding an external air refueling system.
Designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. Low-rate production began in early 1997 with full-rate production starting in September 1997, after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing the previous month. The Super Hornet entered service with the United States Navy in 2001, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006; the Super Hornet serves alongside the original Hornet. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which has operated the F/A-18A as its main fighter since 1984, ordered the F/A-18F in 2007 to replace its aging F-111C fleet. RAAF Super Hornets entered service in December 2010.
The Super Hornet is an evolutionary redesign of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The Super Hornet's unique wing and tail configuration can be traced back to an internal Northrop project P-530, c. 1965; this had started as a substantial rework of the lightweight F-5E with a larger wing, twin tail fins and a distinctive leading edge root extension (LERX). Later flying as the Northrop YF-17 "Cobra", it competed in the United States Air Force's Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program to produce a smaller and simpler fighter to complement the larger McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle; the YF-17 lost the competition to the YF-16.
The Navy directed that the YF-17 be redesigned into the larger F/A-18 Hornet to meet a requirement for a multi-role fighter to complement the larger and more expensive Grumman F-14 Tomcat serving in fleet defense interceptor and air superiority roles. The Hornet proved to be effective but limited in combat radius. The concept of an enlarged Hornet was first proposed in the 1980s, which was marketed by McDonnell Douglas as Hornet 2000. The Hornet 2000 concept was an advanced F/A-18 with a larger wing and a longer fuselage to carry more fuel and more powerful engines.
The end of the Cold War led to a period of military budget cuts and considerable restructuring. At the same time, U.S. Naval Aviation faced a number of problems. The McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II was canceled in 1991 after the program ran into serious problems; it was intended to replace the obsolete Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II. The Navy considered updating an existing design as a more attractive approach to a clean-sheet program. As an alternative to the A-12, McDonnell Douglas proposed the "Super Hornet" (initially "Hornet II" in the 1980s), an improvement of the successful previous F/A-18 models, which could serve as an alternate replacement for the A-6 Intruder. The next-generation Hornet design proved more attractive than Grumman's Quick Strike upgrade to the F-14 Tomcat, which was regarded as an insufficient technological leap over existing F-14s.
At the time, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the Navy's primary air superiority fighter and fleet defense interceptor. Then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney described the F-14 as 1960s technology, and drastically cut back F-14D procurement in 1989 before cancelling production altogether in 1991, in favor of the updated F/A-18E/F. The decision to replace the Tomcat with an all-Hornet Carrier Air Wing was controversial; Vietnam War ace and Congressman Duke Cunningham criticized the Super Hornet as an unproven design that compromised air superiority. In 1992, the Navy canceled the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF), which would have been a navalized variant of the Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. As a cheaper alternative to NATF, Grumman proposed substantial improvements to the F-14 beyond Quick Strike, but Congress rejected them as too costly and reaffirmed its commitment to the less expensive F/A-18E/F.
The Super Hornet was first ordered by the U.S. Navy in 1992. The Navy retained the F/A-18 designation to help sell the program to Congress as a low-risk "derivative", though the Super Hornet is largely a new aircraft. The Hornet and Super Hornet share many characteristics, including avionics, ejection seats, radar, armament, mission computer software, and maintenance/operating procedures. The initial F/A-18E/F retained most of the avionics systems from the F/A-18C/D's configuration at the time. The design would be expanded in the Super Hornet with an empty weight slightly greater than the F-15C.
The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995. Initial production on the F/A-18E/F began in 1995. Flight testing started in 1996 with the F/A-18E/F's first carrier landing in 1997. Low-rate production began in March 1997 with full production beginning in September 1997. Testing continued through 1999, finishing with sea trials and aerial refueling demonstrations. Testing involved 3,100 test flights covering 4,600 flight hours. The Super Hornet underwent U.S. Navy operational tests and evaluations in 1999, and was approved in February 2000.
With the retirement of the F-14 in 2006, all of the Navy's combat jets have been Hornet variants until the F-35C Lightning II enters service. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F two-seat aircraft took the place of the F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder, Lockheed S-3 Viking, and KA-6D aircraft. An electronic warfare variant, the EA-18G Growler, replaces the EA-6B Prowler. The Navy calls this reduction in aircraft types a "neck-down". During the Vietnam War era, the Super Hornet's roles were performed by a combination of the A-1/A-4/A-7 (light attack), A-6 (medium attack), F-8/F-4 (fighter), RA-5C (recon), KA-3/KA-6 (tanker), and EA-6 (electronic warfare). It was anticipated that $1 billion in fleetwide annual savings would result from replacing other types with the Super Hornet. The Navy considers the Super Hornet's acquisition a success, meeting cost, schedule, and weight (400 lb, 181 kg below) requirements.
The Block II Super Hornet incorporates an improved active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, larger displays, the joint helmet mounted cuing system, and several other avionics replacements. Avionics and weapons systems that were under development for the prospective production version of the Boeing X-32 were used on the Block II Super Hornet. New-build aircraft received the APG-79 AESA radar beginning in 2005. In January 2008, it was announced that 135 earlier production aircraft were to be retrofitted with AESA radars.
In 2008, Boeing discussed the development of a Super Hornet Block III with the U.S. and Australian military, featuring additional stealth capabilities and extended range. In 2010, Boeing offered prospective Super Hornet customers the "International Roadmap", which included conformal fuel tanks, enhanced engines, an enclosed weapons pod (EWP), a next-generation cockpit, a new missile warning system, and an internal infra-red search and track (IRST) system. The EWP has four internal stations for munitions, a single aircraft can carry a total of three EWPs, housing up to 12 AMRAAMs and 2 Sidewinders. The next-generation cockpit features a 19 x 11-inch touch-sensitive display. In 2011, Boeing received a US Navy contract to develop a new mission computer.
In 2007, Boeing stated that a passive Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor would be an available future option. The sensor, mounted in a modified centerline fuel tank, detects long wave IR emissions to spot and track targets such as aircraft; combat using the IRST and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles is immune to radar jamming. In May 2009, Lockheed Martin announced its selection by Boeing for the IRST's technology development phase, and a contract followed in November 2011. As of September 2013, a basic IRST would be fielded in 2016 and a longer-range version in 2019; sequestration cuts in 2013 could cause two years of delays. An F/A-18F performed a flight equipped with the IRST system in February 2014, and Milestone C approval authorizing low-rate initial production (LRIP) was granted in December 2014.
Advanced Super Hornet
Boeing and Northrop Grumman self-funded a prototype of the Advanced Super Hornet. The prototype features a 50% reduction in frontal radar cross-section (RCS), conformal fuel tanks (CFT), and an enclosed weapons pod. Features could also be integrated onto the EA-18G Growler; using CFTs on the EA-18 fleet was speculated as useful to releasing underwing space and drag margin for the Next Generation Jammer. Flight tests of the Advanced Super Hornet began on 5 August 2013 and continued for three weeks, testing the performance of CFTs, the enclosed weapons pod (EWP), and signature enhancements. The U.S. Navy was reportedly pleased with the Advanced Super Hornet's flight test results, and hopes it will provide future procurement options.
In March 2013, the U.S. Navy was considering the widespread adoption of conformal fuel tanks, which would allow the Super Hornet to carry 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of additional fuel. Budgetary pressures from the F-35C Lightning II and Pacific region operations were cited as reasons supporting the use of CFTs. Flight testing demonstrated CFTs could slightly reduce drag while expanding the combat range by 260 nautical miles (300 mi; 480 km). The prototype CFT weighed 1,500 lb (680 kg), while production CFTs are expected to weigh 870 lb (390 kg). Boeing stated that the CFTs do not add any cruise drag but acknowledged a negative impact imposed on transonic acceleration due to increased wave drag. General Electric's enhanced performance engine (EPE), increasing the F414-GE-400's power output from 22,000 to 26,400 lbf (98 to 117 kN) of thrust per engine, was suggested as a mitigating measure. In 2009, development commenced on several engine improvements, including greater resistance to foreign object damage, reduced fuel burn rate, and potentially increased thrust of up to 20%.
In 2014, Boeing revealed a Super Hornet hybrid concept, equipped with the EA-18G Growler's electronic signal detection capabilities to allow for targets engagement using the receiver; the concept did not include the ALQ-99 jamming pod. Growth capabilities could include the addition of a long-range infrared search and track sensor and new air-to-air tracking modes.
In September 2014, Boeing readied plans to close its St. Louis production lines for the Super Hornet and F-15 in 2017. Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, told the Wall Street Journal that, although "we're still solidly behind them," the company could have decided by April 2015 whether to shut down both assembly lines and close the factory, but chose to keep the Super Hornet line going. Due to various Pentagon contracts, Boeing had enough orders to keep things running into 2017 to give Boeing the opportunity to firm up more international orders.
The Hornet and Super Hornet share many characteristics, including avionics, ejection seats, radar, armament, mission computer software, and maintenance/operating procedures. The Super Hornet is largely a new aircraft at about 20% larger, 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) heavier empty weight, and 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) heavier maximum weight than the original Hornet. The Super Hornet carries 33% more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41% and endurance by 50% over the "Legacy" Hornet. The empty weight of the Super Hornet is about 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) less than that of the F-14 Tomcat which it replaced, while approaching, but not matching, the F-14's payload and range. As the Super Hornet is significantly heavier than the legacy Hornet, the catapult and arresting systems must be set differently. To aid safe flight operations and prevent confusion in radio calls, the Super Hornet is informally referred to as the "Rhino" to distinguish it from earlier Hornets. (The "Rhino" nickname was previously applied to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, which was retired from the fleet in 1987.)
The Super Hornet, unlike the previous Hornet, is designed to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or "buddy store" for the refueling of other aircraft, filling the tactical airborne tanker role the Navy had lost with the retirement of the KA-6D and Lockheed S-3B Viking tankers. The ARS includes an external 330 US gal (1,200 L) tank with hose reel on the centerline, along with four external 480 US gal (1,800 L) tanks and internal tanks, for a total of 29,000 lb (13,000 kg) of fuel on the aircraft. On typical missions a fifth of the air wing is dedicated to the tanker role, which consumes aircraft fatigue life expectancy faster than other missions.
The forward fuselage is unchanged, but the remainder of the aircraft shares little with earlier F/A-18C/D models. The fuselage was stretched by 34 in (86 cm) to make room for fuel and future avionics upgrades and increased the wing area by 25%. However, the Super Hornet has 42% fewer structural parts than the original Hornet design. The General Electric F414 engine, developed from the Hornet's F404, has 35% additional thrust over most of the aircraft's flight envelope. The Super Hornet can return to an aircraft carrier with a larger load of unspent fuel and munitions than the original Hornet; this ability is known as "bringback", which for the Super Hornet is in excess of 9,000 lb (4,100 kg).
Other differences include intake ramps for the engines and two extra wing hard points for payload (for a total of 11), retaining previous hardpoints on the bottom centerline, wingtips, and two conformal fuselage positions. Among the most significant aerodynamic changes are the enlarged leading edge extensions (LEX) which provide improved vortex lifting characteristics in high angle of attack maneuvers, and reduce the static stability margin to enhance pitching characteristics. This results in pitch rates in excess of 40 degrees per second, and high resistance to departure from controlled flight.
Survivability is an important feature of the Super Hornet design. The U.S. Navy took a "balanced approach" to survivability in its design. This means that it does not rely on very low-observable technology, i.e. stealth. Instead, its design incorporates a combination of signature reduction, advanced electronic-warfare capabilities, reduced ballistic vulnerability, the use of standoff weapons, and innovative tactics that collectively enhance the safety of the fighter and crew in an affordable manner.
The F/A-18E/F's radar cross-section was reduced greatly from some aspects, mainly the front and rear. The design of the engine inlets reduces the aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. The alignment of the leading edges of the engine inlets is designed to scatter radiation to the sides. Fixed fanlike reflecting structures in the inlet tunnel divert radar energy away from the rotating fan blades.
The Super Hornet also makes considerable use of panel joint serration and edge alignment. Considerable attention has been paid to the removal or filling of unnecessary surface join gaps and resonant cavities. Where the F/A-18A-D used grilles to cover various accessory exhaust and inlet ducts, the F/A-18E/F uses perforated panels that appear opaque to radar waves at the frequencies used. Careful attention has been paid to the alignment of many panel boundaries and edges, to direct reflected waves away from the aircraft in uniformly narrow angles.
The Super Hornet employs reportedly the most extensive radar cross section reduction measures compared to other modern fighters, other than the F-22 and F-35 as of 2004. While the F/A-18E/F is not a stealth fighter like the F-22, it will have a frontal radar cross-section an order of magnitude smaller than prior generation fighters. Additional changes for reducing RCS can be installed on an as-needed basis.
Initially, the Super Hornet's avionics and software had a 90% commonality with that of the F/A-18C/D fleet at the time. Differences include an up-front Touchscreen control display; a large multipurpose color liquid-crystal display; and a fuel display. The Super Hornet has a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system, as well as a digital flight-control system that detects and corrects for battle damage. Initial production models used the APG-73 radar, later replaced by the AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA). The AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward Looking InfraRed), is the main electro-optical sensor and laser designator pod for the Super Hornet. The communications equipment consist of an AN/ARC-210 VHF/UHF radio and a MIDS-JTRS low volume terminal for HAVE QUICK, SINCGARS and Link 16 connectivity.
The defensive countermeasures of Block I aircraft includes the AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver, the AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser, the AN/ALE-50 towed decoy and the AN/ALQ-165 Airborne Self-Protect Jammer (ASPJ). Block II aircraft replace the ALQ-165 with the AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Countermeasures (IDECM) system, consisting of internally mounted threat receivers and optional self-protection jammers. Interior and exterior lighting on the Block II was changed to allow the use of night vision devices. The older ALE-50 decoys are being replaced by ALE-55 towed decoys, which can transmit jamming signals based on data received from the IDECM. The improved AN/ALQ-214 jammer was added on Block II aircraft.
Block II aircraft were fitted with the AN/APG-79 AESA radar, capable of executing simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks, and providing higher quality high-resolution ground mapping at long standoff ranges. The AESA radar can also detect smaller targets, such as inbound missiles and can track air targets beyond the range of the aircraft's air-to-air missiles. VFA-213, the first Super Hornet squadron to fly AESA-equipped Super Hornets, became "safe for flight" (independently fly and maintain the F/A-18F) on 27 October 2006. The first Super Hornet upgraded with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was delivered to VFA-213 on 18 May 2007. The JHMCS provides multi-purpose situational awareness, which includes high-off-boresight missile cuing. The Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) is a high-resolution, digital tactical aerial reconnaissance system that features advanced day/night and all-weather capability. The Multifunctional Information Distribution System low volume communication terminal is being upgraded with the MIDS-JTRS system, which will allow a tenfold increase in bandwidth as well as compatibility with the Joint Tactical Radio System standards.
Development of Block III avionics upgrades has been underway as of April 2019.
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