When designing the F / A-18E / F "Super Hornet", the developer took the need to extend the range of the new vehicle very seriously. For a carrier-based multipurpose fighter, this indicator is of paramount importance, since it determines the distance at which an aircraft carrier strike group must approach the KUG / AUG or the enemy coastline to perform an anti-ship or strike operation, as well as the distance at which a link of fighters can escort an air strike wing equipped with tactical missiles of the AGM-84H SLAM-ER type. For the Super Hornet, this indicator is 1.35 times higher than the Hornet's result in patrolling the airspace at altitudes of 5000 - 12000 m (1200 km versus 780 km) and 1.38 times in the strike version (940 versus 580 km) … In this version, the flight profile "high altitude - low altitude - high altitude" is implemented. The increase in the range of the F / A-18E / F became possible after the increase in the volume of internal and external fuel tanks. If on the F / A-18C / D there were 4903 kg in the internal tanks and another 3048 kg in 3 PTBs (total 7951 kg), then in the F / A-18E / F fuel system, internal tanks for 6668 kg and PTBs were used for 7390 kg (total 14058 kg). The increase in the capacity of the internal fuel tanks became possible due to the larger and more capacious airframe of the Super Hornet, and the placement of 5 PTBs of 1479 kg of fuel each (3 PTBs of 1016 kg each for the Hornet) - due to the higher landing gear racks, which allow them to be installed on the suspension nodes larger containers with weapons or fuel. The fuselage length of the F / A-18E / F is 18, 35 m, the wingspan is 13, 45 m (versus 17, 1 and 12, 3 m for the F / A-18C / D).
The tactical capabilities of the Super Hornet practically do not lag behind the promising deck-based F-35C. The maximum speed of the Super Hornet of 1900 km / h, although it is its weak point (like that of the Raphael), is still 500 - 600 km / h ahead of the deck version of the F-35C (its speed is only 1300 - 1400 km / h). The maneuverability of the F / A-18E / F is superior to that of the ship's Lightning. Combat radius of action at a similar level. And the presence of a two-seat modification of the F / A-18F makes the vehicle an advanced aviation complex capable of simultaneously conducting air combat, suppressing enemy air defenses, as well as conducting optical and electronic reconnaissance with the transmission of information to the operator's PBUs of the ship's BIUS "Aegis" via the "Link-16" radio channel”, The largest volume of tasks will be assigned to the operator of the fighter's systems in the rear cockpit, the display equipment of the dashboard of which is duplicated with the MFI in the first cockpit.
The main goals of the project were achieved - an increase in the combat load and the range of weapons with a simultaneous expansion of the vehicle's range. 11 hardpoints can now accommodate 14.5% more missile and bomb weapons (8051 kg), among which Boeing also notes quite promising samples (tactical short-range JAGM missiles based on Hellfire, planning AGM-154 ammunition JSOW, tactical cruise missiles AGM-158A / B JASSM / JASSM-ER, stealth long-range anti-ship missiles LRASM, decoy missiles ADM-160C MALD-J, capable of imitating the RCS of any air attack and other high-precision weapons).
"Super Hornet", like its two-seater younger brother - "electronic fighter" and "killer" air defense F / A-18G "Growler", belongs to the transitional generation of tactical aviation "4 ++", where most of the onboard equipment belongs to the 5 generation and complies with all network-centric traditions of warfare in the 21st century, which does not do without radar and optoelectronic devices on the most advanced element base. For example, Lockheed Martin's Super Hornet digital electro-remote control system (EDSU) has almost completely replaced the backup cable mechanical system that was installed on the F / A-18C / D modifications. The new EDSU with 4-fold redundancy, in the event of the destruction of one or even certain sections of two planes, is able to correct the position of serviceable planes to continue the flight and even perform a combat mission. Of course, close air combat with an enemy with damaged planes will be unrealistic, or very difficult, but it will not be difficult to destroy a target in ranged combat, or to strike a ground target.
Instead of the aging optical-electronic sighting complex AAS-38 "Night Hawk", the "Super Hornets", like the "Hornets", received a promising container optical-electronic sighting system AN / ASQ-228 ATFLIR ("Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infared "), which includes IR / TV channels of sight, as well as a laser rangefinder with a target designator, which allows high-precision combat work both during the day and at night. The AN / APG-79 airborne radar is represented by an active phased array with a canvas of 1100 transmit-receive modules that scan the airspace in a sector of 120 degrees in elevation and 120 degrees in azimuth. The station accompanies 28 aerial targets on the aisle and captures 8 of them for accurate auto-tracking for firing AIM-120C-7 and AIM-120D missiles. Target detection range with RCS 1m2 is 128 km. Multiple modes of operation for ground and air targets are provided by a high-performance processor of the new generation. The device is so advanced that the modernized series of AN / APG-63 (V) 3 airborne radars installed on the F-15SG of the Singapore Air Force, as well as on the American F-15SE "Silent Eagle", was continued on its architecture. With the AN / APG-79 synthetic aperture mode, the accuracy of detecting ground targets and mapping the earth's surface almost reaches the level of the AN / APG-81 onboard radar installed on the F-35A / B / C stealth fighters.
The equipment for electronic reconnaissance, target designation and defense of the F / A-18E / F multipurpose fighter is represented by: the ALR-67 (V) 3 radiation warning system (RWS), the ALQ-214 multi-frequency missile targeting station, as well as the AN / ALE- towed decoy target. 55. These devices are integrated into the IDECOM electronic warfare complex. In 6 AN / ALE-47 modules, located in the lower generatrix of the fuselage, 120 infrared traps are placed to counter missiles with IKGSN.
- the lower central multifunctional indicator, which is colored, and is designed to display a map of the area at different scales; its diagonal is 8.9 inches;
- lower left MFI for displaying graphical and numerical information about the amount of fuel in the internal and external fuel tanks, as well as about the operating modes of the turbojet power plant; the diagonal of this indicator is 5, 9 inches;
- 2 side square monochrome LCD MFIs for displaying information about the air tactical situation received by the AN / APG-79 radar, about the nomenclature of weapons on the suspension points (left MFI), for displaying the artificial horizon and information from optoelectronic systems, as well as displaying terrestrial mapping surfaces (right MFI); the diagonal of these displays is 7.2 inches:
- the upper central monochrome indicator with a diagonal of about 8, 6 '' for displaying the image received from the optical-electronic sighting systems, as well as navigation information and frequency ranges with the channels of the on-board radio station. Here, we note that a single computerized interface allows you to adapt the operation of the indicators for the convenience of any pilot. For example, data from an airborne radar can be displayed on both the left and right displays. This can greatly facilitate the work of a pilot who, for example, served for several years in the US Air Force as a pilot on an F-15C "Eagle" air superiority fighter, where the MFI displaying information from the airborne radar is located on the left side of the instrument panel. panels.
SILENT HORNET - BEYOND THE TRANSITIONAL GENERATION
On the World Wide Web you can find a huge number of review articles, forums and officially provided documentation from Boeing on the most advanced modification of the famous F-15C / E family fighters - F-15SE “Silent Eagle”. The vehicle received conformal weapon bays, "stealth" -configuration of the rear vertical tail (fins and stabilizers) with a 20-degree camber to divert electromagnetic radiation from the enemy radar, as well as the newest AN / APG-63 (V) 3 AFAR radar based on elemental base of on-board computer AN / APG-79 and having similar characteristics with it. Its speed characteristics are about 800-900 km / h higher than that of the F / A-18E / F (about 2350 versus 1750 km / h with normal suspension load). The parameters of this multifunctional fighter in the role of an interceptor are unique, but the cost of maintenance is almost 2 times higher than that of the Super Hornet and amounts to about 42 thousand dollars per hour of flight. For this reason, the F / A-18E / F is more attractive to the customer, and it is the Boeing Corporation that is trying to promote and push through the Asian arms market.
The latest version of the fighter is considered the "stealth" modification of the "Advanced Super Hornet" (also known as the "Silent Hornet"). The product has embodied all the best developments in the Hornet and Super Hornet projects. At the same time, there is much less detailed information on this fighter than on the Silent Needle, and therefore for the review we will be guided by photographs, technical sketches and infographics from the Internet.
In view of the constant improvement of the on-board radars of tactical fighters of the Russian and Chinese Air Forces, their equipping with advanced infrared and television optoelectronic systems, as well as the upcoming arrival of long-range and ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles of the RVV-BD type into the air forces of these countries, " Product 180 "and PL-21, specialists of the US Navy, the Ministry of Defense and development companies came to the conclusion that the existing appearance of the carrier-based multipurpose tactical fighter F / A-18E / F" Super Hornet "will no longer correspond to the emerging threats after 2020- th year. An effective scattering surface within 2 m2 with missile and bomb armament on suspensions would give the vehicle absolutely no advantages in long-range aerial combat with such advanced fighter-bombers as the MiG-35, Su-27SM / 3, Su-30SM, J-15B / S etc. Therefore, Boeing and Northrop Grumman specialists began searching for methods to significantly expand the combat potential of the regular Super Hornets. In addition, the Boeing management planned to earn a decent portfolio of orders from Asian and European countries on the new aircraft.
The first demonstrator of the promising F / A-18E "Advanced Super Hornet" could be seen at the international aerospace exhibition "Aero India-2011" at the Elahanka airbase (Bangalore). In India, they tried to promote it as part of the MMRCA tender for the purchase of 126 light multi-role fighters of the 4 ++ generation to upgrade the national air force. For the PR of the new vehicle on the global arms market, a specialized program "International Super Hornet Roadmap" was even developed, which involved licensed assembly at the aircraft industrial defense enterprises of the customer countries with an almost complete transfer of production technologies and the provision of full-fledged logistic support during operation in the air force of the customer country …
The development of an upgrade package for the updated Super Hornet has been going on since about the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The package itself included: equipping with additional above-air conformal fuel tanks to increase the combat range of the fighter, the development of a suspension universal container for placing missile and bomb weapons, the installation of an advanced optoelectronic sighting system with a high-sensitivity infrared high-resolution camera, modernization of the power plant, integration into all-aspect avionics. the SM / LW (Spherical Missile Laser Warning) laser missile warning station and the deeply advanced electronic warfare system IDECM Block IV, as well as the installation of a large-format multifunctional indicator with a diagonal of 19 inches or more. Indeed, the idea turns out to be very, very good, since the modernization technique can be applied not only to the F / A-18E / F, but also to the electronic warfare aircraft and the enemy's air defense missile defense breakthrough F / A-18G "Growler".
LET'S CONSIDER THE MAIN ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF UPDATING ON THE "ADVANCED SUPER HORNET" SOFTWARE
1. Conformal fuel tanks. This option adds another 240-250 km to the combat range of the upgraded Super Hornets. Two overhead fuel tanks with a capacity of 1982 liters each can hold up to 1585 kg of JP-5 aviation kerosene, which adds up to an increase of 3170 kg (3964 liters) of fuel. This decision led to an increase in the range of the F / A-18E / F / G to almost 1500 - 1600 km, and this is without the underwing PTB. In the case of suspension of 2 more PTBs of 1800 liters each, the radius can reach almost 2300 km! A similar concept for the placement of conformal fuel tanks is used on the F-16C Block 52/52 + / 60 and F-16I "Sufa" tactical fighters. What can you say right away? The advantage of conformal TB (CFT) lies in giving a simple carrier-based fighter a range equivalent to our Tu-22M3 medium-range missile-carrying bomber (without a boom with a refueling system, of course) or a stealthy promising super-maneuverable fighter T-50 PAK FA. The disadvantages are also evident. Despite all the perfection of the streamlined aerodynamics of the overhead conformal fuel tanks, they create a certain resistance, which will partially “cut down” and the maneuverability of the Silent Hornet, bringing them to the level of F / A-18C / D, and the rate of climb (up to 220 - 230 m / s), and overclocking characteristics. The speed with the thrust-to-weight ratio will also suffer. The first, taking into account the suspended container for weapons, will not exceed 1, 4-1, 5M, and the thrust-to-weight ratio will be about 0.75-0.85 kgf / kg. In this situation, the pilots of the Silent Hornets should exclude the possibility of a BVB with a strong one (MiG-29SMT or Su-30SM). But as a tactical strike fighter among carrier-based vehicles, the F / A-18E / F will remain a very powerful machine, in terms of combat qualities corresponding to the MiG-29KUB and the Chinese J-15S (excluding speed characteristics).
2. Subtle suspended "stealth" -container with missile and bomb armament. This device forms the basis for the drastic reduction of the Silent Hornet's radar signature. Guided missiles of the "air-to-air", "air-to-ground / ship / radar" classes, as well as guided aerial bombs have their own RCS ranging from thousandths to hundredths of a square meter (AIM-120D, for example, has an RCS of the order of 0.02 m2), since electromagnetic waves are reflected from the canvas of the active radar seeker and any other metal parts. The container is made of special radio-absorbing materials and coatings, and is also represented by sharp edges without right angles, which lead away part of the unabsorbed radar radiation into space. Its design and materials reduce the RCS of the fighter's arsenal to the indices of a small-sized ("narrow") guided bomb of the GBU-39 SDB type (0.01 m2). At the same time, the arsenal, located in the "stealth" -container Enclosed Weapons Pod (EWP), can consist of 4 AIM-120D missiles, or 2 AIM-120D and 6 SDB, there are also options with a JDAM UAB with a semi-active laser hovering, etc. The disadvantage of this method is the same aerodynamic drag of a rather large "stealth" container, which leads to an even greater decrease in speed and loss of maneuverability. In addition, the placement of a massive overhead container can lead to an overload limit of 5-6 units. For long-range air combat, breakthrough of enemy air defenses and rapprochement with the enemy aircraft carrier strike group, such a container is simply irreplaceable, since the Silent Hornet's EPR will remain at the same level - within 1 m2.
3. A promising optical-electronic sighting system installed on the "Advanced Super Hornet" is represented by an IRST-21 infrared sensor, capable of detecting, tracking and issuing target designation for various ground, sea and air targets. This complex provides tremendous advantages when operating a fighter in a passive mode (with the radar off and with complete radio silence). Small EPR, together with the highly sensitive IRST-21, is capable of increasing the combat qualities of a tactical fighter, without revealing its own location for enemy ground and air units with weak radar facilities.
At the end of August 5, 2013, the prototype F / A-18F "Advanced Super Hornet" made its 21st test flight, during which the main modernization units of the new machine were tested. The equipment proved to be excellent, and the vehicle received initial combat readiness for adoption and serial production in any country in the world. As we can see, despite the slow and confident advancement in the US Air Force and its allies of the 5th generation tactical fighters F-35A / B / C, their software continues to conflict with the hardware of the avionics, including radar, and sometimes optoelectronic systems, at the moment it remains "raw". The Advanced Super Hornets remain the most balanced aircraft, capable of operating at a high level both in the fleet and from ground air bases. The flight performance of these fighters is higher than that of the Lightning, the modernization potential is the same, and therefore soon we can expect them to enter the arena of the Big Game, because it is no coincidence that Boeing and Northrop boldly prophesied to their network-centric brainchild still "several decades" of service.
