Super Hornet News

[A.K. for T-7]

Jacques se existe alguém que não é para ser levado minimamente a sério esse alguém é o Engenheiro de Telecomunicações Carlo Koop... O homem é um amador interessado que fez a vida dele a escrever livros sobre o F111, de notar que ele nunca foi militar. Não sei se você tem alguma ideia dos disparates que o tipo escreve e tipicamente escreve disparates em que utiliza um ou dois nºs incorrectos que alteram todo o argumento e reza para que ninguém dê conta...
Ainda à muito pouco tempo atrás o tipo dizia que a RAAF devia enfiar um radar AESA no F111, MAIS UM PAR DE F119 (motores) num "airframe" com quarenta anos de idade, ao mesmo tempo que seriam adquiridos três Esquadrões de F22 (60 a 80 aviões) mais uma dúzia de 747 para fazer reabastecimento em vôo, e isto supostamente caberia no orçamento utilizado para adquirir 80/100 F35... Se o ridiculo matasse. Mas não é só isso, as propostas que ele apresenta partem sempre do pressuposto que existe uma ameaça real à segurança da Australia baseada numa proliferação de Flanker´s na região, ora as unicas variantes capazes de atingir a Oceânia são as da Força aérea Indonésia, todos os DOIS SU27 mais os outros DOIS SU30.
Mas se virmos um texto dele, aquilo só vai lá com uma boa quantidade de F22´s e o F111 deveria voar para sempre, PORQUE A AMEAÇA É ENORME. Outra gira, um dos gráficos que ele mais gosta de usar é um aonde aparece um circulo de ameaça baseado no alcance de um bombardeiro Tupolev genérico, o circulo tem como centro uma das bases aéreas da Força Aérea Indiana a partir do Sul da India e engloba uma parte da Australia. O tipo fez a asneira de utilizar este gráfico numa apresentação para a RAAF, primeiro passou uma vergonha porque a India é considerada uma aliada da Australia, depois teve de explicar que "Tupolev" era aquele, nem mais nem menos o TU160, e ai alguém lhe teve de explicar que a IAF não tem o Blackjack, que só existe cerca de uma dúzia em todo o planeta e que fábrica aonde se fabrica o avião está fechada à uma década ou mais.
Mas se alguém quiser saber qual é a credibilidade do Carlo Koop nos circulos militares Australianos é facil, o "DefenseTalk" está cheio de malta da RAN, RAAF, perguntem por lá, é de "idiota" para baixo.

Cada país tem o seu Godoy...

[soultrain]

Prick,

Isto contradiz o OPEVAL e a US Navy. Se uma coisa do SH tem recebido elogios eh o seu sistema de controle de voo.

No seu desenvolvimento, com eh normal, ocorreram problemas que foram sanados antes de sua entrada em operacao em 2002. Geralmente essas criticas sao anteriores ao OPEVAL, ou seja pre-1999. Em 1999 o programa SH ganha o Collier Trophy.

O que diz o Gerente do Programa da US Navy, em 2007:

Jacques,

Pode procurar o que quizer e só vai encontrar o que postou, boa manobrabilidade a baixa velocidade.

Desculpe a pergunta, mas é funcionário da Boeing?

[[]]'s

[Penguin]

Prick,

Isto contradiz o OPEVAL e a US Navy. Se uma coisa do SH tem recebido elogios eh o seu sistema de controle de voo.

No seu desenvolvimento, com eh normal, ocorreram problemas que foram sanados antes de sua entrada em operacao em 2002. Geralmente essas criticas sao anteriores ao OPEVAL, ou seja pre-1999. Em 1999 o programa SH ganha o Collier Trophy.

O que diz o Gerente do Programa da US Navy, em 2007:

Jacques,

Pode procurar o que quizer e só vai encontrar o que postou, boa manobrabilidade a baixa velocidade.

Desculpe a pergunta, mas é funcionário da LockMark?

[[]]'s

Soultrain,

Nunca disse o contrario e nem que o SH eh o melhor. Tenho dito que ele, por tudo que tenho lido e postado, eh melhor do que pintam. Esta claro que ele foi uma escolha de compromisso e adequado a um cenario planejado pela US Navy. Com o desenvolvimento e disseminacao de cacas de 5a geracao, os de 4a geracao (incluido ai o SH) e anteriores provavelmente ficarao obsoletos antes do planejado.

O que tenho ressaltado eh que muitas criticas que se faz ao SH entram na categoria de mitos criados principalmente durante a sua fase de desenvolvimento e que teimam em persistir.

OBS.: Nao trabalho na LM. Vc eh do Marines?

[]´s

Jacques

[Jacobs]

Alguem ja jogou o Jane's F/A-18 ?

É um dos simuladores mais realistas que existem, simulando o Super Hornet. Apesar de algumas criticas ao FM meio "impreciso", da pra se ter uma boa ideia das capacidades do SH. Pena que no jogo, o avião é equipado com o APG-65, e não o atual APG-79 AESA.

[soultrain]

OBS.: Nao trabalho na LM. Vc eh do Marines?

[Penguin]

Boeing taps Lockheed for F-18 infrared tracking
Reuters | Jul 3, 2007

WASHINGTON: Boeing Co. said Monday it tapped traditional rival Lockheed Martin Corp. to supply up to 150 advanced infrared sensors for Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.

Raytheon, Northrop Grumman Corp. and BAE Systems Plc offer similar infrared tracking systems.

"Those are the (other) three that we talked to," Chris Wedewer, Boeing's IRST product manager, said in a telephone interview.

The choice of Lockheed's Infrared Search and Track, or IRST, systems followed "a rigorous and competitive request-for- information process," Boeing said in a statement.

Wedewer said Boeing itself did not compete to supply the system, which is used to detect heat generated by enemy aircraft even when facing radar-jamming equipment.

Boeing said it expects an initial IRST development contract from the U.S. Navy next summer as part of its work on the next Super Hornet, known as Block 2. The total value is expected to top $500 million, covering IRST development and production, it said.

Boeing and Lockheed are partnering to invest a total of more than $10 million of their own seed money in anticipation of the Navy deal, Bob Gower, a vice president of Boeing's F/A-18 programs, said in the statement.

The IRST system, if approved for export, could help Boeing's F/A-18E/F compete for a potential $8 billion-plus Indian fighter market against Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon and entries from Russia and Europe.

Boeing's top Super Hornet subcontractors are Northrop, Raytheon and General Electric Co., which provides the aircraft's two engines.

[Penguin]

AESA Radar Enters Full-Rate Production
US Navy | Jul 4, 2007

The U.S. Navy’s next-generation aircraft radar system was approved for full-rate production June 25.

Following extensive review by the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), PMA-265 was granted authorization to enter into Full Rate Production for 437 next-generation APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars.

“Super Hornet Block II and EA-18G aircraft equipped with AESA’s revolutionary war fighting capability makes Naval Aviation more relevant than ever in our history to the joint combatant commander. Our Super Hornets and Growlers - with cutting edge radar technology, precise and networked enabled weapons in combination with joint interoperable and open architectures - increases the combat effectiveness of all those operating in the battle space,” said Capt. “BD” Gaddis, PMA-265 Program Manager.

This major program milestone marks the end of a Low Rate Production (LRIP) period of 84 radars that began with delivery of the first LRIP 1 unit in July 2003.

The AESA program started in 1999 and the radar had its first flight in July 2003. The program completed an operational evaluation in December 2006 and will commence follow-on test and evaluation later this summer in preparation for first deployment in 2008.

“With more than 8200 flight hours on LRIP hardware in the past 2 years, AESA system hardware has been extremely reliable and maintainable,” said Shirley Franko, AESA program co-lead. “With its highly advanced built-in-test capability and no moving parts to fail, the system boasts an operational availability of 96 percent.”

To date the AESA radar has proven to be seven times more reliable than the legacy system it replaces, and program officials expect this figure to increase in the future.

AESA systems are currently flying in four Fleet squadrons and have impressed aircrew and maintenance users on both coasts, said Franko.

“This cutting-edge radar is a critical enabler for Block II Super Hornets,” said Cmdr. John Green, AESA program lead “A total of 437 Block II Super Hornets will have AESA radars, bringing advanced capabilities and improved reliability to the Fleet.”

Australia is also procuring 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet equipped with AESA, Green added.

Advanced capabilities include cruise missile defense, an enhanced SAR-mapping capability, extended air-to-air range, and an interleaved mode capability that allows air-to-air and air-to-ground modes to be used simultaneously, a particularly useful mode in two-seat aircraft, said Green.

VFA-213, in Oceana, VA, was the first operational unit to stand up as an AESA-equipped F/A-18F squadron in October 2006 and VFA-22, in Lemoore, CA, is currently transitioning to AESA-equipped F/A-18F aircraft. Both squadrons have initiated a training regimen that will prepare them for deployment with AESA in 2008.

[Patton]

*Yawn* Esse Super Hornet sempre foi e sempre sera' uma merda.

E' muito simples. Faz uma comparacao entre o F-15E e o F-18E para ver que o Strike Eagle e' superior em tudo. Basicamente a unica coisa que o Hornet pode fazer que o Eagle nao pode e operar de port-avioes.

Um compromisso, uma merda.

[Wolfgang]

*Yawn* Esse Super Hornet sempre foi e sempre sera' uma merda.

E' muito simples. Faz uma comparacao entre o F-15E e o F-18E para ver que o Strike Eagle e' superior em tudo. Basicamente a unica coisa que o Hornet pode fazer que o Eagle nao pode e operar de port-avioes.

Um compromisso, uma merda.

Quantos S. Hornets vocês têm em operação atualmente, Patton? Mesmo após o F-35, o F-18E não fará a defesa da frota?

Não compare com o F-15E com o resto. É um semi-deus... .

[Penguin]

*Yawn* Esse Super Hornet sempre foi e sempre sera' uma merda.

E' muito simples. Faz uma comparacao entre o F-15E e o F-18E para ver que o Strike Eagle e' superior em tudo. Basicamente a unica coisa que o Hornet pode fazer que o Eagle nao pode e operar de port-avioes.

Um compromisso, uma merda.

Vantagens do SH:

- Opera em porta avioes: isso faz uma grande diferenca para a US Navy e eh uma capacidade nada trivial. Modifica o Eagle para operar em PA e o resultado provavelmente sera um caca mediocre, muito distinto do original.

- Bem mais discreto que o qq Strike Eagle.

- Sistemas eletronicos com arquitetura mais avancada.

[Penguin]

$90M to Boeing for APG-79 "New Capability"
11-Jul-2007 14:13 | Permanent Link
Related stories: Americas - USA, C4ISR, Fighters & Attack, Boeing, Contracts - Modifications, Radars, Design Innovations

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

APG-79 usage concept
(click to view full)Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO received a $90 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014) for "the procurement of a newly developed, additional capability for the AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar." Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (95%) and St. Louis, MO (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2011. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract.

Raytheon's APG-79 will equip the new F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Block II aircraft and the derivative EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft; its AESA design offers a number of new possibilities including simultaneous air/ground scans, wide-angle ground scans, electronic jamming functions, high-bandwidth communications, and probably a few more that the government prefers not to talk about yet. Our top bets are: the "new capability" in question would be the "big SAR" wide angle surface scans that will now be part of the production F-35 Lightning, or limited electronic warfare capabilities.

[Penguin]

Boeing offers joint production of F/A-18F Super Hornets
2 February 2007


New Delhi: As aircraft competing for the Indian Air Force's 126 multi-role combat aircraft tender, such as the Russian MiG-35, Swedish JAS-39, the Eurofighter Typhoon, American Lockheed Martin's F-16 and the French Rafale ready themselves for an appearance at the Bangalore-based Aero India 2007 show, American aerospace major Boeing has made its intentions regarding the tender very clear by offering its contender, the F/A-18F Super Hornet, for joint production in the country - if it should win the contract.
Conceding that the Hornet faced very strong competition from other contenders, Chris Chadwick, vice president and general manager, Global Strike Systems, Boeing, has said, that in case Boeing wins the contract, it will enter into a joint production arrangement with an Indian defence contractor.

If Boeing should bag the contract, India will also become the first country outside the US to produce the aircraft. Production of the Hornet will also mark a change in product portfolio for Indian aerospace giant, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is producing the Sukhoi-30MKI and the Anglo-French Jaguar aircraft. Earlier, HAL has also produced the MiG-series of Russian fighters, at its Nashik based plant.

According to reports, Boeing has offered the first eight aircraft off-the-shelf, with the remainder to be produced jointly. With respect to the upcoming Bangalore-based aero show, Boeing has said that it will have one Hornet performing aerobatics, while another would be on static display.

Along with the Super Hornet, Boeing's C-17 Globemaster strategic lift transport and the Chinook CH-47 helicopter troop carrier, as well as a large scale model of the P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft - its current offering to the Indian Navy - will also be on display.
The IAF's MRCA contract is expected to be worth between $6-11 billion in its entirety.

As per newly laid down arms procurement policies, all deals worth over Rs3 billion come under the provision of an offset clause that will ensure that 30 per cent of the deal value has to be reinvested in India.

Even as the clause has become a bit of a 'sticking point' with some foreign companies, Boeing has declared that it is comfortable with the offset provisions.

http://www.domain-b.com/aero/report_details.aspx?id=186

[Penguin]

May 23, 2007
EADS Knows LO

http://aviationweek.typepad.com/ares/

Stealth is becoming affordable, according to EADS. Jan Ritter, head of the computational electromagnetics (CEM) group in EADS Military Aircraft division, says that the mindbogglingly complex task of calculating how radar waves scatter off a complex shape - at all relevant angles and frequencies - is succumbing to advances in computing and better codes. CEM is now becoming mature, Ritter said Tuesday at IQPC's conference on Military Aircraft Survivability in London, just as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has improved aerodynamic design.


EADS has developed modification packages for aircraft such as the Tornado, reducing radar cross section (RCS) by 10 dB, says Ritter. "More complex means" - including the replacement of some structural parts - can cut the RCS of a conventional-looking aircraft by 15 - 17 dB, which substantially reduces detection range and (to an even greater extent) boosts the performance of electronic jamming, because a hostile radar needs more power to see the weaker target through the jamming signal. EADS has even developed a package of RCS-reduction measures for the A400M transport, not to make it invisible but to make its towed radar decoy more effective. Interestingly, EADS estimates that the Super Hornet has an RCS 20 dB lower than the original F/A-18C/D, getting close to the values for aircraft like the F-22 and JSF.

For all-out stealth aircraft like the Barracuda UAV, EADS has developed codes that can deal with up to 6 million unknowns, performing "accurate, full-wave solutions" of Maxwell's equations - the root of all radar stealth work - and can work fast enough to be part of a multi-disciplinary optimization (MDO) design process. The result is designs that can balance stealth, performance and cost.

--Bill Sweetman

[Penguin]

Boeing Delivers First Production EA-18G Growler to U.S. Navy

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q3/070925c1_pr.html

These images are available for editorial use by news media on: boeingmedia.com ST. LOUIS, Sept. 25, 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] yesterday delivered the first production EA-18G Growler to the U.S. Navy ahead of schedule and within budget.

"The Growler team put together a program plan that...has remained on cost and schedule, while meeting or exceeding all performance parameters. I don't get to say that very often about our programs," said The Hon. Delores Etter, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, during the delivery ceremony at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems facilities in St. Louis. "We have a great start to a total procurement of over 80 Gs, which will operate in our fleet for decades to come."

The U.S. armed forces' newest airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft combines the Super Hornet's proven airframe and mission systems with a next-generation airborne electronic attack suite. By using the Super Hornet airframe, the EA-18G program and the Navy can leverage the existing capabilities and known reliability and maintainability characteristics of the F/A-18E/F to provide an advanced AEA platform at a fraction of the cost and time of a completely new aircraft. Unlike the two aircraft already in flight test, the EA-18G Growler delivered today was entirely assembled and tested on the same production line as the existing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

"We're very proud today to follow the Super Hornet tradition of delivering on our promises," said Bob Gower, Boeing vice president of F/A-18 programs. "We made a very ambitious promise to our customer in 2003 that we would deliver this aircraft, built on the same line as our Super Hornets, by the end of 2007. We've not only met those promises; our team has found a way to meet every challenge and deliver a cost-effective, incredibly capable product, ahead of schedule."

"Since the rollout in August of '06, the first flight, the software, the flight testing, it's all coming on time, which is a tremendous boon in my world," said U.S. Navy procurement chief Rear Adm. Kenneth Floyd, director, Aviation and Aircraft Carrier Plans and Requirements. "We're glad to have it, and once we get it out in the fleet, we're going to be flying this thing in ways that nobody ever thought possible. A good day for the Navy, a good day for the nation, and I think the only people that might be having a bad day are the people that end up on the business end of this thing's capacity."

The aircraft, dubbed G-1, will join the flight test program at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., before entering fleet service. The Growler is expected to complete flight testing in 2008, followed by initial operational capability in 2009.

Boeing, acting as the weapon system integrator and prime contractor, leads the EA-18G Growler industry team. Northrop Grumman is the principal subcontractor and airborne electronic attack subsystem integrator. The Hornet Industry Team divides EA-18G production across Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Electric and Raytheon manufacturing facilities. Naval Air Systems Command PMA-265 is the U.S. Navy acquisition office for the EA-18G.

[Penguin]

Australia - Weapons for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft


(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Oct. 4, 2007)



WASHINGTON --- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of weapons for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft as well as associated equipment and services.

The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $617 million.

The Government of Australia has requested a possible sale of 43 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles, 50 AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW), 18 AN/ASQ-228 (V2) Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) Pods, 24 AN/ALQ-214 Radio Frequency Countermeasures, 90 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS), 32 AN/PVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVG), 16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT), system integration and testing, software development/ integration, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documents, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $617 million.

Australia is an important ally in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region. Australia’s efforts in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations have made a significant impact to regional political and economic stability and have served U.S. national security interests. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives and facilitates burden sharing with our allies.

Australia recently purchased 24 F/A-18E/F aircraft, notified to Congress under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act on 6 February 2007. These weapons systems will be integrated on Australia’s F/A-18E/F aircraft. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Missouri, General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, Massachusetts, and Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this sale will require approximately eight contractor representatives to provide technical and logistics support in Australia for two years. U.S. Government and contractor representatives will also participate in program management and technical reviews for one-week intervals twice annually.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.