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| F/A-18 Super Hornet: Carrier-Based Multirole Fighter |
Northrop Grumman revealed earlier this month that its Litening advanced targeting pod (ATP) flew successfully on the US Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornet jet. According to a news statement from the American technology company, pilots executed maneuvers and operations imitating combat missions to test the ATP's digital video, autonomous target tracking, and laser sensor capabilities. The addition of the Litening Pods to the Navy's Hornet fleet is the most recent update to the twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, which has been in service since the late 1990s.
The Debut of the Super Hornet
The replacement to the F/A-18 Super Hornet initially flew in 1995 and was built at full capacity two years later, following the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. The Super Hornet, like its predecessor, was available in two variants: the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F. The Block II Super Hornet is more advanced than the Hornet, featuring an improved active electronically scanned array radar, improved avionics, and larger screens. The Navy received its first two batches of the latest Super Hornet type, the Block III F/A-18, last year.
The current Super Hornet model, according to Boeing, outperforms
fourth-generation fighter capabilities because its "new ancillary processor
translates to a fighter that will accomplish more work in significantly less
time, boosting a pilot's situational awareness." Boeing's newest Block III
fighters can fly for up to 10,000 hours, which is nearly double the flight
time of comparable jets. Furthermore, the Block IIIs can carry more fuel than
their predecessors and have a lower radar cross-section, which helps to reduce
the airframe's detectability. The F/A-18 Super Hornet, widely regarded as the
Navy's most dependable aircraft, continues to serve as one of the world's most
sophisticated non-stealth fighters.
The Super Hornet's History
McDonnell Douglas Corporation (now Boeing) created the first iteration of the F-18 Super Hornet in 1979. While the F/A-18A Hornet has become one of the Navy's core fighters, the first prototype was rejected by the service.
In 1972, Congress instructed the Air Force to investigate less expensive alternatives to the Air Force F-15 and Navy F-14 Tomcat. The YF-17 prototype came from the Lightweight Fighter Program. General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman were selected by the Air Force to build two prototypes of their YF-16 and YF-17 designs. Despite the fact that General Dynamics' YF-16 won the examination, the Navy declared the F-17 version as its new lightweight fighter.
According to Air Force Magazine, "The F-17 then evolved into the F/A-18A," with the "F/A" name being a designation for a multirole fighter/attack aircraft. This designation was coined by the team at McDonnell Douglas and Northrop." "Despite the fact that it looked very similar to the YF-17, the new jet was significantly larger and heavier than its predecessor. It featured larger engines, a larger nose, a thicker LEX, sawtooth wing leading edges, modified intake geometry, heavier landing gear, and of course, an arresting hook system."
The Navy's changes to the F-17 led it to become the Block 1 F/A-18 Hornet model, which is still in service today.
What distinguished the Hornet?
As the first tactical airplane designed to handle both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet entered service with unmatched capabilities. According to Boeing, the Hornet was the first fighter to have digital fly-by-wire flight controls and the first to have carbon fiber wings. All F/A-18s have comprehensive mission spectrum capabilities, including air superiority, reconnaissance, fighter escort, and close air support, among other things.
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| F/A-18 Super Hornet in Brisbane River Fire 2022 |
The fighters are powered by 16,000-pound-thrust General Electric F404-400 engines that are designed for ease of maintenance. The F404 is extremely reliable since it is resistant to stalling or flameout under all conditions. Furthermore, the engine can be removed from the aircraft in a matter of minutes, an unusual feature that contributes to the fighter's excellent image among pilots and maintainers alike.
1986 was a pivotal year for the Hornet.
The United States Navy announced in March 1986 that the F/A-18 Hornet would replace the Blue Angels' A-4 Skyhawk airframe. Since the mid-1940s, the Blue Angels have served as ambassadors for US Naval Aviation, showcasing the skills of both the Navy and Marine Corps in public demonstrations.
The Navy's choosing of the F-18 for such a duty puts the platform squarely in the spotlight. The Hornet launched its initial combat missions against Libyan air defenses from the USS Coral Sea the following year. The US-launched air strikes, codenamed Operation El Dorado Canyon, targeted Libya in revenge for a bombing in West Berlin a few weeks earlier. The Hornet's operational effectiveness drew the interest of foreign clients, and by 1989, the air forces of Kuwait, Spain, Canada, and Australia had bought the fighters.
