When I look at what the Super Hornet offers warfighters today, I know we are unmatched at what we bring to the fight

The f/a-18in super hornet is the world’s most advanced in-production multi-role combat fighter currently offered to the Indian Air Force. When I look at what the Super Hornet offers warfighters today, I know we are unmatched at what we bring to the fight. The Super Hornet programme has delivered more than 400 aircraft to the US Navy, each one on time and under budget, through a total system engineering effort, coupled with lean business practices.

Every Super Hornet to date has been delivered on or ahead of schedule (the latest delivery data supports that Boeing is “currently delivering Super Hornets to the USN and our international customers two-plus months ahead of schedule”). Designed in two phases, the F/A-18E/F’s first phase was an airframe and growth focus where we designed in stealth. We focused on what the US Navy refers to as a “balanced approach to survivability”, stealth, advanced electronic warning receivers, combat redundancy for major systems, such as two engines and two mission computers. We also focused on range.

The next destination in Super Hornet evolution came in April 2005—about seven years after the first Super Hornets arrived in 1998—when the Block II Super Hornet emerged. Block II modernised all of the avionics and sensors on the aircraft. Block II enhancements also upgraded the APG-73 radar, known as a mechanically scanning radar, with the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar at the heart of the system. Additionally, upgraded sensor capability, including the Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared pod and SHAred Reconnaissance Pod, provide unmatched total battlespace situational awareness.

Capability enhancements for the Super Hornet continue today through the F/A-18E/F Flight Plan. The Flight Plan is a technology insertion roadmap that partners Boeing with the US Navy, and enables us to ensure the Super Hornet remains in front of developing threats over the next three decades. The navy will operate the Super Hornet through 2035 and beyond, because it is the only platform that offers such unique combat-proven capabilities. We will continue to enhance and upgrade the Super Hornet following the Flight Plan to remain ahead of threats that continue to emerge.

With its 11 weapons stations that enable it to fight its way into target areas, launch weapons, and fight its way out, the Super Hornet is the preeminent multi-role platform in the world today. The Super Hornet’s unlimited angle of attack, coupled with its ability to execute air-to-air, fighter escort, airto-ground/close air support, maritime attack/tactical maritime operations, reconnaissance and even as a tactical air refueler, make it a true force multiplier. The Super Hornet is unmatched in the types of missions it can conduct, today.

If India should choose this iconic aircraft, itself a symbol of continuous aerospace evolution, the Super Hornet might rightfully come to stand as a symbol of growing India-US ties. From way up at the government-to-government level, down to where defence companies like Boeing are linking arms with the MoD and Indian industry, this evolution has been remarkable. And looking ahead, it can only get better. As continuous insertions of advanced technologies keep the Super Hornet an integral part of the US Navy for 30 or more years, we similarly expect the new F/A-18IN to be defending Indian air space and international sea lanes for years beyond that.

It’s all about evolution—one great aircraft and two great nations.

State-of-The-Art Features

Complete multi-role capability. Combat proven. Low cost of ownership. The F/A-18IN Super Hornet provides the latest generation of advanced airframe and avionics technology to fight and survive in the 21st century. As its fighter/attack designation signifies, the F/A-18IN Super Hornet provides the flexibility to perform a broad range of missions, from allweather precision attack to reconnaissance to air superiority in a single aircraft. The supportability design features minimise sustainment and life-cycle costs, resulting in high availability rates. Factor in the transfer of state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and its exceptional value becomes apparent.

Unprecedented mission capability maximises strategic options. Lethality, high survivability protect warfighters and investment. Flexible weapons carriage allows multiple missions on a single sortie. Unprecedented mission capability maximises strategic options. Because the Super Hornet was designed as a front-line fighter and attack aircraft from inception, it performs exceptionally well in all multi-role combat missions. With its highly integrated cockpit for maximum pilot situational awareness; advanced weapons and sensors for maximum combat lethality; self protection systems for survivability; and external fuel tanks for longer range, several missions can be accomplished on the same sortie.

Large, flexible payload enhances strike package. The Super Hornet’s weapon payload capacity and mission flexibility provide considerable warfighting options. With 11 weapon stations, the Super Hornet is capable of carrying a wide variety of advanced air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons, which maximises the number of targets per sortie and minimises the need for escorts or other supporting aircraft.

Tanking capability extends flight range. Every Super Hornet can also serve as an in-flight tanker to refuel—or be refueled by—any aircraft that uses the probe and drogue refueling method. In the refueling configuration it retains all the performance capabilities of the strike fighter, thereby optimising strike package efficiency. With its own defence measures, no escort is needed and the aircraft can quickly support the strike force. In addition to tanking, the range of the aircraft can be extended by carrying up to five 480-gallon fuel tanks.

Advanced tactical reconnaissance increases battlespace intelligence. The Super Hornet offers all-weather, day or night tactical reconnaissance capabilities. The suite of medium-and high-altitude sensors collects visible, infrared and synthetic aperture radar imagery and delivers near-real-time, high-resolution imagery to ground stations and other aircraft. This system, which performs simultaneous air and ground observations, maximises coverage at extended ranges for standoff capability and optimal mission flexibility.

High Lethality & Survivability

To ensure its survivability against current and future threats, the Super Hornet provides a balanced approach to combat survivability, hence protecting warfighters and investment. Many of the survivability features also make it a very safe aircraft in peacetime. With minimal need for support equipment and a rugged design, the Super Hornet excels at missions in austere and forward-deployed locations. It can operate in all climates and environmental conditions, including frigid cold, desert heat, humid tropical, coastal corrosive and high-altitude runways.

Hard to see: A low radar cross section and a highly effective electronic warfare suite make the Super Hornet extremely difficult to detect by airborne or surface threats.

Hard to hit: The Super Hornet’s electronic warfare suite and outstanding maneuverability make it extremely hard to hit if fired upon. It has no angle-of-attack limitations in any symmetric air-to-air or air-to-ground configuration. This unmatched high angle-of-attack capability, combined with exceptional nose-pointing control power, gives the Super Hornet unprecedented combat maneuverability and the ability to dominate close-in combat engagements.

Hard to kill: The Super Hornet’s twin-engine design, rugged airframe, self-repairing flight controls and redundant systems make it extremely hard to kill if hit, and provides the survivability to bring the crew and aircraft safely home.