Super Hornet question
- Thread starter STURM
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Well the SH that have been sold now have been regular builds. I would imagine anyone they would sell a SH too would get the modern radar setup. Australia's builds were straight off the USN build, with just a few minor replaceable items omitted.
I can't recall hearing of the Super Hornet being offered with a legacy radar system in any recent discussions, and I imagine this would get increasingly unlikely in view of its competitors on the global fighter market beginning to receive AESAs of their own. My guess is that the Super Hornet as it stands right now refers generally to the Block II, that is, with AESA radar included.
SteelTiger 177
New Member
I've heard that Indian air force is looking at buying the Super Hornet has there been any news on the Indian Navy looking at the F/A18 E,F,and G?Also has the German Luftwaffe consider the Growler as a replacement for the Tornado in the SEAD role?
Super Hornet was eliminated as was F16,Gripen and MIG35 from the Indian competition. Highly unlikely that Indian Navy would buy SHs as they are already buying MIGs and navalised Tejas for their carriers. I haven't heard anything about Germans buying Growlers, with all the budget cuts in Europe, I don't see anybody buying Growlers there.
I believe Super Hornet is still being marketed with both radars. Dont forget that any military export must first be approved by the Congress. And these people are really reluctant in exporting hi-tech equipment such as an AESA radar, especially to not let's say not so closed allies.
No, the Luftwaffe has not considered the Growler, & nor will it. If the Luftwaffe wants new dedicated SEAD aircraft, it will seek to add that capability to the Eurofighter. Adding a new type to the inventory would be more expensive than buying the same number of additional Eurofighters, even if the purchase price of the new type is lower.
The Indian air force has evaluated and rejected the Super Hornet. It is to choose between Rafale & Typhoon.
I think it unlikely that the IN would be looking at the F-18E/F/G. It has no catapult carriers in service or on order, is buying enough MiG-29K for initial air groups for the STOBAR carriers it is building, and is developing the N-LCA for the future.
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As Boeing's main rivals are already available with an AESA, offering the Super Hornet with a non-AESA radar to potential customers would not be a good idea and would effectively kill Boeing's chances of securing a contract. A number of countries in which Boeing has been trying to sell the Super Hornet have good relations with Uncle Sam but are not 'close allies'.
SteelTiger 177
New Member
The U.S.Navy has just ordered at least 400 new Super Hornets are there any plans for any FA18 E/F to configured as aggressors to simulat the current Falnker family of fih=ghters suc as the SU-27,33 and so on?
Is It Really Super?
I have some questions on the Capability of the SH...
Can it hold its own in a dog fight? Or does it rely on its EW suite to scrap it out?
Does it have further development potential or is it at the end of its development cycle?
What stealth features does it have?
Thanks
I have some questions on the Capability of the SH...
Can it hold its own in a dog fight? Or does it rely on its EW suite to scrap it out?
Does it have further development potential or is it at the end of its development cycle?
What stealth features does it have?
Thanks
here are some of the rcs reductions, it also has the flight characteristics
http://info.publicintelligence.net/F18-EF-000.pdf1.1.4
Radar Cross Section (RCS) Reduction. RCS reduction is a significant feature of the F/A-18E/F. While the maintenance community is tasked with maintaining the RCS features of the aircraft,
it is in the best interests of the aircrew community to take an active role to ensure the survivability characteristics of the aircraft are retained.
RCS reduction is accomplished through numerous airframe design features. See figure 1-3. The baseline feature is planform alignment of as many surface edges as feasible. The outer moldline of the aircraft is treated to make it a smooth, conductive surface in order to reduce radar scattering.
Treatment entails metalizing the navigation lights, canopy, and windshield.Permanent joints and gaps around infrequently opened panels are filled with a form-in-place (FIP) sealant, which is blended flush and conductively painted. Gaps around frequently opened panels are filled with a conductive FIP (CFIP) sealant, which allows for easier repair.
Conductive tape is applied to a few gaps where there is no substructure to support FIP material, such as along LEX edges. Conductive tape can also be used to quickly repair damaged FIP joints.
Since CFIP in the gaps around frequently opened panels will experience the most tear and tear, a corrosion-proof radar absorbing material (RAM) is applied in front of many of these gaps.
RAM is also applied (1) on the inlet lip and duct, (2) as diamond-shaped patches around drain holes, and (3) in various locations that tend to highly scatter radar energy such as around pitot tubes, vertical tail openings, vents and screens, flap hinges and fairings, and portions of the pylons and external tanks.
A multi-layer RAM is used in a few locations, such as around AOA probes and on the top, front surface of the pylons.
Figure 1-3. Radar Cross Section (RCS) Reduction
Gaps around landing gear doors are treated in two ways. Nose landing gear doors use flexible conductive blade seals on leading and trailing edges; main landing gear door edges are wrapped with RAM. Scattering from trailing edges (i.e., trailing edge flaps and rudders) is controlled by a radar absorbing boot which is bonded to the surface.
Scattering from the back edge of the windshield is controlled by a gray, laminated material called the aft arch termination strip.
The engine inlet ducts incorporate a device to minimize engine front face scattering. The edge of the canopy incorporates a conductive bulb seal to block radar reflections from that joint.
Conductive bulb seals are also used where there is significant structural flexure, such as at the wing-to-LEX interface.
Eleven electro magnetic interference shields (EMIS) III radar shields are permanently installed on the radar antenna hardware. To allow the aircraft to achieve its full RCS reduction potential, a missionized kit consisting of twelve more EMIS III radar bulkhead shields, are installed for combat missions only.
Additionally, SUU-79 pylons can be fitted with a set of low observable (LO) hardware.
http://info.publicintelligence.net/F18-EF-000.pdf1.1.4
Radar Cross Section (RCS) Reduction. RCS reduction is a significant feature of the F/A-18E/F. While the maintenance community is tasked with maintaining the RCS features of the aircraft,
it is in the best interests of the aircrew community to take an active role to ensure the survivability characteristics of the aircraft are retained.
RCS reduction is accomplished through numerous airframe design features. See figure 1-3. The baseline feature is planform alignment of as many surface edges as feasible. The outer moldline of the aircraft is treated to make it a smooth, conductive surface in order to reduce radar scattering.
Treatment entails metalizing the navigation lights, canopy, and windshield.Permanent joints and gaps around infrequently opened panels are filled with a form-in-place (FIP) sealant, which is blended flush and conductively painted. Gaps around frequently opened panels are filled with a conductive FIP (CFIP) sealant, which allows for easier repair.
Conductive tape is applied to a few gaps where there is no substructure to support FIP material, such as along LEX edges. Conductive tape can also be used to quickly repair damaged FIP joints.
Since CFIP in the gaps around frequently opened panels will experience the most tear and tear, a corrosion-proof radar absorbing material (RAM) is applied in front of many of these gaps.
RAM is also applied (1) on the inlet lip and duct, (2) as diamond-shaped patches around drain holes, and (3) in various locations that tend to highly scatter radar energy such as around pitot tubes, vertical tail openings, vents and screens, flap hinges and fairings, and portions of the pylons and external tanks.
A multi-layer RAM is used in a few locations, such as around AOA probes and on the top, front surface of the pylons.
Figure 1-3. Radar Cross Section (RCS) Reduction
Gaps around landing gear doors are treated in two ways. Nose landing gear doors use flexible conductive blade seals on leading and trailing edges; main landing gear door edges are wrapped with RAM. Scattering from trailing edges (i.e., trailing edge flaps and rudders) is controlled by a radar absorbing boot which is bonded to the surface.
Scattering from the back edge of the windshield is controlled by a gray, laminated material called the aft arch termination strip.
The engine inlet ducts incorporate a device to minimize engine front face scattering. The edge of the canopy incorporates a conductive bulb seal to block radar reflections from that joint.
Conductive bulb seals are also used where there is significant structural flexure, such as at the wing-to-LEX interface.
Eleven electro magnetic interference shields (EMIS) III radar shields are permanently installed on the radar antenna hardware. To allow the aircraft to achieve its full RCS reduction potential, a missionized kit consisting of twelve more EMIS III radar bulkhead shields, are installed for combat missions only.
Additionally, SUU-79 pylons can be fitted with a set of low observable (LO) hardware.
1. Yes. The Super Hornet's aerodynamic design features a very large LERX - leading edge root extension and world class flight control software. Consequently like all Hornet fighters but even moreso when compared to the early model A/B/C/D models, it has an outstanding low speed, high angle handling capability which is what you need for "close in" "dog-fighting" or "knife fight" scenarios, where your energy has bled off due to very tight turning...
Additionally the Super Hornet is equipped with the Joint Helmet Mounted Sighting system (JHMCS) and the highly agile AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, the combination of which makes it possible to engage a target without even bothering to "point the nose" of the aircraft as you can see in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g4_jzqBJnA
It's videos like that, that make many people argue that extreme aircraft agility is no longer of primary importance. The capability of modern missiles to a large degree makes an opponent's ability to out-maneuver your aircraft irrelevant, so long as you can detect your opponent first and launch your missiles first. To do this requires superior detection capability, superior decision making capability
No fighter aircraft can out-maneuver an AIM-9X and if my Super Hornet sees your ... fighter fighter first, look out buddy. All the 9G+ maneuvering in the world won't help you.
The Super Hornet and especially the Growler have excellent electronic warfare systems and these are improving with additional capabilities rolling out with the APG-79 AESA radar and AN/ALE-55 Fibre Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) and every modern combat aircraft relies heavily upon their EW systems. Anyone who doesn't, thinking their super agile fighter aircraft doesn't need such fancy "tricks" is a goose and should go back and watch that Sidewinder video again and estimate if they can out-turn that...
2. Yes the Super Hornet has significant growth potential. In fact Boeing has pitched upgraded versions on several occasions, previously touting the Block III Super Hornet (current production versions are Block II) and now the "Super Hornet International".
Basically the improvements that the Super Hornet would look at include: increased thrust and increased reliability engines to improve aircraft acceleration and supersonic speed and decrease maintenance requirements and also improve fuel efficiency.
It also includes the addition of conformal fuel tanks to improve range and lower parasitic drag, a conformal weapons pod under the fuselage to improve the LO or "stealth" characteristics of the aircraft when carrying weapons, an improved cockpit and improved sensors, including an IRST - Infra-Red search and track system and a 360 degree IR defensive aperture system (to provide constant threat monitoring and missile approach warning).
Here's Boeing's touting of the improvements:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3h8yImm4U
3. Answered already, but basically RAM - radar absorbent material on the airframe, conformal radio antennas, "radar blockers" in the air intakes and internal baffles and systems to reduce internal radar reflectivity.