The US Navy and Marine Corps plan to upgrade some of their most versatile jet strike fighter aircraft, extending the platforms’ service life for a couple thousand more flight hours.
Boeing, a leading American defense company, recently received a $313.4 million contract to support the enhancement of up to 25 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jets from the Navy fleet.
The contract covers “non-recurring engineering, system engineering program management, and additional aircraft inductions,” which will integrate Block III avionics capabilities, extending the service life of these warplanes from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 hours and generally boost the overall performance of the Super Hornets.
Boeing plans to finish the upgraded aircraft by February 2025.
Navy’s Mainstay Fighter Jet
The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic fighter jet that Boeing developed for the US Navy. It is an upgraded version of the F/A-18 Hornet, which entered service in 1999.
The Super Hornet has a length of about 60 feet (18 meters), a wingspan of about 45 ft (13.7 m), and can fly at a top speed of over Mach 1.8 (more than 1,190 miles per hour or 1,915 kilometers per hour). It can carry a wide range of high-powered weapons, including air-to-air missiles (such as AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow), air-to-ground missiles (like the Harpoon), and bombs, providing the aircraft with a versatile and lethal combat capability in a wide range of mission scenarios.
Its seating depends on the variation: F/A-18E has a single-seat cockpit, while F/A-18F has two. Nonetheless, both have advanced avionics and sensor systems, including a multi-mode radar, electronic warfare suite, and helmet-mounted display system.
The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet has been used extensively in combat operations, including during the Iraq War and the ongoing conflict against Islamic State. It is also used by the US Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, for their aerial performances and has been exported to several other countries.
Since its introduction in the late 1990s, the Super Hornet has been extensively used across the service and has been a relatively reliable and well-regarded aircraft.
However, with the ever-changing nature of technology, the fighter jet has been rapidly aging. Its ability to compete with newer and more advanced fighter jets has also been raised, including its stealth and long-range capabilities.
Other issues that plagued the Super Hornet throughout its service life include engine problems—where, in some cases, it has either failed or caught fire amid flights, leading to serious safety concerns for its pilots. Software and electronic malfunctions were also reported, significantly affecting the aircraft’s overall performance. Despite these issues, though, Boeing has been working closely with the US Navy to address and resolve these problems.
Production Halt: No More Super Hornets
Despite the constant upgrades, Boeing announced earlier this year that it would discontinue the Super Hornet production line by late 2025 as it redirects its resources to “future military aircraft programs.”
“We are planning for our future, and building fighter aircraft is in our DNA,” Boeing Air Dominance vice president Steve Nordlund said via press release.
The company has also announced that it will no longer accept any further US orders apart from the eight aircraft that Congress added to the fiscal 2023 budget. Nonetheless, Boeing has committed to providing modernization and upgrades to aircraft to meet the Navy’s operational requirements for the foreseeable future, ensuring that the platform will remain relevant and effective for years to come.
“As we invest in and develop the next era of capability, we are applying the same innovation and expertise that made the F/A-18 a workhorse for the US Navy and air forces around the world for nearly 40 years,” Nordlund added.
Meanwhile, Boeing noted that it could extend the production line of the F/A-18 Super Hornet until 2027 if an international customer prefers the aircraft.
Since 1983, the American defense firm has been delivering Hornets, Super Hornets, and EA-18G Growlers to several countries. With over 2,000 aircraft delivered, these countries include the US, Australia, Canada, Finland, Spain, and Switzerland. In addition, according to budget documents, the US Navy alone has brought roughly 698 Super Hornets over 30 years.
As the production line for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft is slated to discontinue, the Navy now plans to shift its focus to the F/A-XX project, the details of which are unclear at this time. Additionally, they will pour more resources into the F-35 Lightning II and carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drones, a program that the Navy officials hope to have about 60 percent of future carrier air wings.
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