A New Mocked Up Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet To Debut At The Upcoming Aero India 2011

A mocked up version of Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet will be among the many metal birds to debut at the upcoming Aero India 2011.

Boeing, which is one of the contenders for the $10 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract, will unveil a stealthier version of the F/A-18 at the air show to be held at the Air Force Station Yelahanka between February 9 and 13.

Boeing’s vice president and country head for defence, space and security, Vivek Lal, said that one of the two F/A-18s which will be performing at the bi-annual show will be configured with conformal fuel tanks, enhanced performance engines, spherical missile laser warning, enclosed weapons pad, next generation cockpit and internal infrared search and tracking system.

The mocked up aircraft, which will be unveiled at the Aero India will be the first F/A-18 to be developed as part of the ‘International Super Hornet Roadmap’ programme which was announced by the US-based aerospace company at last year’s Farnborough Air Show in the UK.

Labelled as the next evolution of Block II Super Hornet, the aircraft is said to have features “which increase survivability, situational awareness, and performance for customers”.

Lal said that if India inked the 126 MMRCA deal with Boeing, it would also have the option of shaping its technology in future. “We are putting up a platform which will be combat worthy for the next 30 to 40 years,” said Lal.

Read More

F-18 Hornet At Aero-India 2011

Read More

Raytheon Has Delivered Its 250th APG-79 AESA Radar

Raytheon has delivered its 250th APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar to Boeing. The APG-79 radar is flown on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft, and on the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet.

"As we recognize this milestone of the 250th APG-79 AESA delivery, it is also significant to note that 85 radar systems were completed for the U.S. Navy in just the last 12 months," said Eric Ditmars, F/A-18 program director, Tactical Airborne Systems.

"The APG-79 radar has revolutionized fighter combat capabilities and dramatically improved situational awareness for aircrews. This combat-proven, advanced radar technology also has logged more than 175,000 operational flight hours."

The APG-79 AESA hardware offers 10-15 times greater reliability than mechanically scanned array radars, which results in lower life-cycle costs. In addition, it provides capabilities that allow warfighters to detect and identify targets beyond the reach of most missiles.

The APG-79 AESA radar is in operation with more than a dozen U.S. Navy squadrons. Internationally, the Royal Australian Air Force received the radar system in 2010, marking the delivery of the first foreign military sale of Super Hornets equipped with the APG-79.

Read More

U.S. Fighter Jet Makers Out of Indian MRCA Fighter Jet Deal

 

India has decided against considering fighter jets manufactured by The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation for a $11 billion order and is narrowing down its choice to two European-made planes- France's Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

 

Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Super Viper – both of which are powered by General Electric engines – lost out to two European airplanes that are still under consideration by the Indian military. GE Aviation was expecting to see a healthy order flow if either of the U.S. competitors was awarded the contract.

Read More