Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet - America's Strike Fighter

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a carrier-based strike fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried with 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. Full-rate production began 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 1999, replacing the F-14 Tomcat since 2006, and serves alongside the original Hornet. In 2007, the Royal Australian Air Force ordered Super Hornets to replace its aging F-111 fleet.

The Super Hornet is about 20% larger, 7,000 lb (3,000 kg) heavier empty, and 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) heavier at 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 that it replaced, while approaching, but not matching the payload / range of the larger plane.

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 scatter traveling waves away from the aircraft.

The Super Hornet's original avionics and software have a 90% commonality with then current F/A-18C/Ds. The Super Hornet features a new touch-sensitive, up-front control display; a larger, liquid crystal multipurpose color display; and a new engine 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 APG-79 AESA.

The first unit to bring their F/A-18 Super Hornets to combat was VFA-115. On 6 November 2002, two F/A-18Es conducted a "Response Option" strike in support of Operation Southern Watch on two surface-to-air missile launchers at Al Kut and an air defense command and control bunker at Tallil air base. One of the pilots, Lieutenant John Turner, dropped 2,000 lb (900 kg) JDAM bombs for the first time from the Super Hornet during combat.

In support of the Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq War), VFA-14, VFA-41 and VFA-115 flew close air support, strike, escort, SEAD and aerial refueling sorties. Two F/A-18Es from VFA-14 and two F/A-18Fs from VFA-41 were forward deployed to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The VFA-14 jets flew mostly as aerial refuelers and the VFA-41 jets as Forward Air Controller (Airborne) or FAC(A)s.

On 6 April 2005, VFA-154 and VFA-147 (the latter squadron then still operating "Legacy" F/A-18C) dropped two 500-pound laser-guided bombs on enemy insurgent location east of Baghdad.

On 8 September 2006, VFA-211 F/A-18F Super Hornet expended GBU-12 and GBU-38 bombs against Taliban fighters and Taliban fortifications west and northwest of Kandahar. This was the first time the unit was in combat with the Super Hornet.

During the 2006-2007 cruise with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, VFA-103 and VFA-143 supported Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and operations off the Somali coast, and alongside "Legacy Hornet" squadrons VFA-131 and VFA-83, they dropped 140 precision guided weapons and performed nearly 70 strafing runs.

The House Armed Services Committee has supported an additional multi-year contract to buy more Super Hornets at around $50 million each to cover the strike fighter gap, while the Navy has suggested it could spend $25 million for each F/A-18 Hornet to extend its lifespan from 8,600 to 10,000 flight hours.

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[cyberarmy007]

Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (Rocky III)

[tj3335]

boeing makes the best stuff

[VFA103JollyRogers]

@assassinwarz Northrop are you kidding me with the whole Tanker mess up I say Keep BOEING tankers and not that EADS shit, and it it's a US Airforce plane than let it be made in the US and not France

[MasterJay08]

@tj3335 Not like LockheedMartin!

[7nordic]

Actually the count for the RAAF is up to 20 now with 4 more to come and the pilots are saying the Super Hornet only has a quarter of the range and a quarter of the payload of the F111

[IauthenticI]

Raptor>Eurofighter>Gripen>Supe­r Hornet

[kdraper2007]

@Comet12421 Switzerland, Austrailia, Spain, Norway, Canada, & Malasia use variuos versions of the F/A-18. that's just a list off the top of my head. there may be other users. If the F-35 doesn't pan out the British are considering the Super Hornet for use on their new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

[TuAFFalcon]

@Comet12421 Na the Super Bugs are everywhere! Well the Legacy Hornets anyways. Australia is the only country at the moment that has the Super Hornet recently and deliveries still ongoing. Australia, Spain, the Swiss etc all chose the Hornets over the F-16's.

[Comet12421]

i thought f-18 where only on carriers

[boeing747ist]

@gryphus001 ¨song name is Eye of the tiger.

[minerofblood]

Australia currently has 5 of these!

[joeyjunior111]

The CRAZIEST plane EVER.

So crazy soudn and kinda shakes the ground, did see today.