Il Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet block III

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 Northrop, poi 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.

Versioni:

• 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.

Utilizzatori:

• Australia - Royal Australian Air Force - 24 F/A-18F block II ordinati nel 2007 per sostituire gli F-111. - No. 1 Squadron RAAF - No. 6 Squadron RAAF
• Kuwait - Kuwait Air Force - Il 29 settembre 2016 la Casa Bianca ha dato il via libera alla vendita di 28 F/A-18 E/F(22 F/A-18E e 6 F/A-18F, più un'opzione per ulteriori 12 esemplari) per il Kuwait per un valore di 10.1 miliardi di dollari. - La fornitura, approvata dal dipartimento di stato americano il 17 novembre 2016, prevede anche 41 radar AESA, vari armamenti, parti di ricambio e supporto logistico.
• United States - United States Navy - 300 in servizio al maggio 2018, ma le acquisizioni programmate dovrebbero portare gli esemplari a 573 e tutti della variante block III. - Flotta del Pacifico.

Esportazioni fallite

Svizzera - Forze aeree svizzere - Nel 2012 la Svizzera annunciò come vincente il Saab JAS 39 Gripen nel programma d'armamento che prevedeva l'acquisizione di 22 caccia di 4+/4++ generazione per le sue forze aeree. Alla assegnazione avevano partecipato il Saab JAS 39 Gripen, l'Eurofighter Typhoon, il Dassault Rafale e il Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet (quest'ultimo successivamente fu ritirato dalla Boeing, che si rese conto di essere fuori mercato nella competizione, a causa del costo troppo elevato del proprio esemplare).

Specifiche (F/A-18E/F)

Caratteristiche generali:

• Equipaggio: F/A-18E 1, F/A-18F 2
• Lunghezza: 18,31 m
• Apertura alare: 13,62 m
• Altezza: 4,88 m
• Superficie alare: 46,5 m²
• Peso a vuoto: 14 552 kg
• Peso carico: 21 320 kg (in configurazione da caccia)
• Peso massimo al decollo: 29 937 kg
• Propulsione: 2 x General Electric F414-GE-400 
• Spinta a secco: 62,3 kN
• Spinta con postbruciatore: 97,9 kN
• Carburante interno: F/A-18E: 6 780 kg, F/A-18F: 6 354 kg
• Carburante esterno: 5 × 480 gal serbatoi, totale 7 381 kg.

Prestazioni:

• Velocità massima: Mach 1.8 (1 915 km/h) a 13.190 m
• Raggio: 2 346 km (1 275 nmi) con due AIM-9
• Raggio d'azione: 722 km (390 nmi) missioni interdizione
• Trasferimento: 3 330 km (1,800 nmi)
• Tangenza: 15 000 m
• Rateo di salita: 228 m/s
• Carico alare: 459 kg/m²
• Rapporto spinta/peso: 0,93
• Fattore di carico: 7,6g
• Armamento e avionica
• Cannoni: 1× 20 mm M61 Vulcan montato sul muso, mitragliatrice Gatling da 578 colpi
• Piloni: 11 totali: 2× estremità alari, 6× sotto le ali e 3× sotto la fusoliera, con una capacità totale di 8 050 kg.

Missile aria-aria:

• 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder o 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM, e
• 2× AIM-7 Sparrow o 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM

Missile aria-superficie:

• AGM-65 Maverick
• AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Range (SLAM-ER)
• AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation missile
• AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
• AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)

Missili antinave:

• AGM-84 Harpoon
• Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)

Bombe

• JDAM precision-guided munition
• Paveway bomba a guida laser
• Mk 80 series iron bombs
• CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
• CBU-78 Gator
• CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
• Mk 20 Rockeye II.

Altro

• SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys, dispersori pod, Chaff, dispersori pod o
• ECM pod o
• AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR o
• Cinque punti d'aggancio per i serbatoi da 330 U.S. gal (1,200 L) o 480 U.S. gal (1,800 L) uno sotto la fusoliera e quattro sotto le ali; questi ultimi possono essere utilizzati per rifornimento in volo per altri aerei (air refueling system ovvero ARS).

Avionica

• Hughes APG-73 o Raytheon APG-79 Radar
• Northrop Grumman/ITT AN/ALE-165 auto protezione jammer pod o BAE Systems AN/ALE-214 sistema difensivo integrato delle contromisure elettroniche
• Raytheon AN/ALE-50 o BAE Systems AN/ALE-55 esche trainate
• Northrop Grumman AN/ALR-67(V)3 allarme radar ricevitore
• MIDS LVT o MIDS JTRS data link ricetrasmettitore.

Costruito per la superiorità aerea

Il Super Hornet F / A-18 Block III è il più recente aereo tattico altamente capace, conveniente e disponibile nell'inventario della Marina degli Stati Uniti. Il Super Hornet è la spina dorsale dell'ala aerea della portaerei della US Navy ora e per decenni a venire.

Il Super Hornet, collaudato in combattimento, offre capacità all'avanguardia e di cacciabombardiere di nuova generazione, superando le minacce attuali ed emergenti anche in futuro. Il Super Hornet ha le capacità, la flessibilità e le prestazioni necessarie per modernizzare le forze aeree o aeronautiche navali di qualsiasi paese. Due versioni del Super Hornet - il modello E monoposto e il modello F biposto - sono in grado di eseguire praticamente tutte le missioni nello spettro tattico, tra cui superiorità aerea, attacco diurno / notturno con armi a guida di precisione, scorta di caccia combattenti, supporto aereo ravvicinato, soppressione delle difese aeree nemiche, attacco marittimo, ricognizione, controllo aereo in avanti e missioni di navi cisterna.

Clienti Super Hornet F / A-18

Il primo squadrone operativo del Super Hornet F / A-18 E / F è stato costituito nel giugno 2001 ed a bordo dell'USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) nel luglio 2002. Nell'aprile 2005, Boeing consegnò il primo Super Hornet Block II, completo di il primo radar AESA multimodale tattico al mondo, diventato operativo alla fine del 2007.Fatti rapidi di Super Hornet.

Ogni Super Hornet è stato consegnato con i costi e nei tempi previsti.

Il Super Hornet è l'aereo più conveniente della flotta aeronautica tattica statunitense, che costa meno ogni ora di volo rispetto a qualsiasi altro aereo tattico nell'inventario delle forze statunitensi.

L’Australia gestisce 24 Super Hornet. Boeing ha completato la consegna, prima del previsto, nell'ottobre 2011.

Nell'agosto 2013, Boeing e Northrop Grumman hanno condotto test di volo con un prototipo di un Super Hornet avanzato con serbatoi di carburante conformal, un contenitore di armi chiuso e miglioramenti della firma radar e IR. I voli hanno dimostrato che il Super Hornet può superare le minacce fino al 2040.

Il primo volo operativo del sistema di sensori di ricerca e traccia a infrarossi è stato nel febbraio 2014 e la Marina statunitense ha approvato l'IRST per la produzione iniziale a basso costo nel gennaio 2015.

Come parte del budget FY18 era previsto un requisito per 80 Super Hornet nei prossimi cinque anni come parte del programma di difesa degli anni futuri, compresi i finanziamenti per lo sviluppo della ricerca, i test e la valutazione per le capacità del block III. La Marina americana ha aggiunto altri 10 Super Hornet al bilancio FY18 come priorità n. 1 non finanziata.

ENGLISH

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 General Dynamics F-111C fleet. RAAF Super Hornets entered service in December 2010.

Development

Origins

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.

Testing and production

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 entered 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.

Improvements and changes

The Block II Super Hornet incorporates an improved active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, larger displays, the joint helmet mounted cueing 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.

Design

Overview

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.

Airframe changes

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.

Radar signature reduction measures

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.

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.

Avionics

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.[74] 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.

Potential operators

Canada

The Super Hornet has been a contender to replace the CF-18 Hornet, a version of the F/A-18A and B models, operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Like the older Hornet, the Super Hornet's design is well-suited to Northern Canada's rugged forward operational airfields, while its extended range removes its predecessor's main deficiency. Due to commonalities, training and integration would be straightforward in transitioning to the Super Hornet. In 2010, Canada decided on sole source selection of the F-35A. Boeing claimed that Canada had ignored the Super Hornet's radar cross-section characteristics during evaluation. By April 2012, Canada was reportedly reviewing its F-35 procurement. In September 2013, Boeing provided Canada with data on its Advanced Super Hornet, suggesting that a fleet of 65 aircraft would cost $1.7 billion less than a fleet of F-35s. The US Navy buys Super Hornets for $52 million per aircraft, while the advanced model costs $6–$10 million more per aircraft, dependant on options selected.

As a result of the 2015 Canadian federal election, the new Liberal government indicated that it would launch a competition to replace the CF-18 fleet. During the election, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau stated that his government would not buy the F-35. On 22 November 2016, the Liberal government announced its intention to acquire 18 Super Hornets on an interim basis. A letter of request by the Canadian government was issued 14 March 2017 for 18 Super Hornets. In September 2017, the U.S State Department granted Canada permission to buy 10 F/A-18Es and 8 F/A-18Fs (or EA-18Gs) along with supporting equipment, spares, and armaments. The agreed cost for the 18 jets totaled CA$1.5 billion, or about CA$83.3 million per aircraft, adding the supporting equipment, training, spares, and weapons increased the acquisition cost to CA$6.3 billion.

However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned that pending Super Hornet sale to Canada along with a possible sale of another 70 was adversely affected by Boeing's actions against Bombardier Aerospace of Montreal. These included a complaint to the US government about Bombardier selling CSeries airliners to Delta Air Lines at unduly low prices; in September 2017, the U.S. Department of Commerce proposed a 219% tariff on CSeries imported into the US. In late 2017, the Canadian Government agreed with Australia to purchase 18 used F/A-18 Hornets as an interim measure to ensure fleet readiness. Boeing has confirmed its bid for the Advanced Fighter Program, likely offering a mix of 88 F/A-18E/F Advanced Super Hornets (Block III) and Boeing EA-18G Growler.

Finland

In June 2015, a working group set up by the Finnish MoD proposed starting the so-called HX Fighter Program to replace the Finnish Air Force's current fleet of F/A-18C/D Hornets, which will reach the end of their service life by the end of the 2020s. The group recognises five potential types: Boeing F/A-18E/F Advanced Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Saab JAS 39 Gripen.

In May 2016, the Pentagon announced that two US manufacturers will respond to the information request regarding the fighter acquisition: Boeing with the Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin with the F-35. The request for information concerning the program was sent in early 2016 with five responses received in November 2016. A call for tender will be sent in spring 2018 and the buying decision is scheduled to take place in 2021. In February 2020, three Super Hornet aircraft arrived at the Tampere-Pirkkala Airbase Airbase in Finland for final flight evaulations in the HX Fighter Program, a single-seat F/A-18E, a twin-seat F/A-18F and an EA-18G. The evaluations concluded on 28 February 2020.

Germany

Germany requires a replacement for its aging Panavia Tornado fleet which includes both Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike) and ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance) variants. Germany considered ordering the F-35, Eurofighter Typhoon, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler.

In April 2020, Germany announced its replacement for its Panavia Tornado aircraft will be a split purchase of 30 Super Hornets, 15 EA-18G Growlers and 55 Eurofighter Typhoons. Germany may purchase an additional 38 Typhoons to replace its oldest Typhoon model for a total purchase of 93. The Super Hornet was selected due to its compatibility with nuclear weapons and availability of an electronic attack version. As of March 2020, the Super Hornet is not certified for the B61 nuclear bombs, but Dan Gillian, head of Boeing's Super Hornet program, previously stated that "We certainly think that we, working with the U.S. government, can meet the German requirements there on the German's timeline.

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