F/A-18 Super Hornet at Aero India 2019
At Aero India 2019, two F/A-18 Super Hornet with nose markings ‘204’ and ‘206’ were seen parked on Yelahanka Air Force Station ramp along with other civil and military aircraft on display. Media reports stated that the F/A-18 Super Hornet are from Strike Fighter Squadron 27 (VFA-27) based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet is supersonic, twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft capable of performing fighter escort, fleet air defence, suppression of enemy air defences, air interdiction, close air support, and aerial reconnaissance. Although officially named “Super Hornet”, it is commonly referred to as “Rhino” within the U.S. Navy. The aircraft is powered by 2 × General Electric F414–400 turbofans afterburning turbofan engines. It carries a 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan nose mounted 6-barrel rotary cannon with 412 rounds. The aircraft is also capable of carrying AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet is equipped with AN/APG-73 and currently with newer AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. In the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the radar is installed in a slide-out nose rack to facilitate maintenance. The AN/APG-73 is an I band (8 to 12 GHz) pulse-Doppler radar systems designed for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.
The Super Hornet is a redesign of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995. Flight testing started in 1996 with the F/A-18E/F’s first carrier landing in 1997.The Super Hornet underwent U.S. Navy operational tests and evaluations in 1999 and was approved in February 2000. On 19 March 2024, the US Navy ordered 17 additional Super Hornets to extend the production until 2027. Apart from US Navy, the other operator of the aircraft is Royal Australian Air Force. The F/A-18E Super Hornet is the single seat variant and F/A-18F Super Hornet is a two-seat variant. The Boeing EA-18G Growler is the electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18F.
F/A-18 Super Hornet and India
The Super Hornet variant was offered to India for Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition was the F/A-18IN, which is based on the F/A-18E/F model operated by the US Navy and being built for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Raytheon’s APG-79 AESA radar was offered on the aircraft. The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition in India, also known as the MRCA tender, was a competition to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). Boeing proposed joint manufacture of the jets with Indian partners. Boeing also planned to offset the cost by setting up a US$100 million maintenance and training hub in Nagpur. This is the first time; the Super Hornet has been offered for production in a foreign country. On 14 February 2008, Boeing and Tata Industries agreed to form a joint-venture company. The new entity formed in February 2008, will supply components for Boeing military aircraft, including the Super Hornet. To satisfy its offset requirements, Boeing has signed long-term partnership agreements with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata Industries, and Larsen & Toubro. On 31 January 2012, it was announced that Dassault Rafale had won the MMRCA competition.
In February 2018, the Indian Naval Air Arm was reportedly interested in the Super Hornet as the main carrier-based strike fighter of the in-development Vishal-class aircraft carrier. In December 2020, Boeing announced the successful launched of F/A-18 Super Hornet from a ski-jump. In May 2022, two Super Hornets were sent to Goa to showcase compatibility with Indian aircraft carriers. However in July 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defence revealed that the Defence Acquisition Council had granted Acceptance of Necessity for 22 Dassault Rafale M fighters and 4 Dassault Rafale DH conversion trainers for the Indian Navy.
