F/A-18 Super Hornet

F/A-18 Super Hornet (Carrier-based multirole fighter) – 382

Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Defense, Space & Security

First flight: 29 November 1995

Introduction: 1999

Status: In service

Produced: 1995-present

Number built: 500 as of April 2011

Program cost: Total procurement – $48.09 billion (through FY2011)

Unit cost: $60.9 million (2014 flyaway cost)

Developed from: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

Variants: Boeing EA-18G Growler

General characteristics

Crew:

F/A-18E – 1;

F/A-18F – 2

Length: 18.31 m

Wingspan: 13.62 m

Height: 4.88 m

Wing area: 46.5 m²

Empty weight: 14,552 kg

Loaded weight: 21,320 kg (in fighter configuration)

Max. takeoff weight: 29,937 kg

Powerplant: 2× General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans

Dry thrust: 6,353 kgf (62.3 kN) each

Thrust with afterburner: 9,983 kgf (97.9 kN) each

Internal fuel capacity:

F/A-18E – 6,780 kg;

F/A-18F – 6,354 kg

External fuel capacity: 5× 1817 L tanks, totaling 7,381 kg

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (1,915 km/h) at 12,190 m

Range: 2,346 km clean plus two AIM-9s

Combat radius: 722 km for interdiction mission

Ferry range: 3,330 km

Service ceiling: 15,000+ m

Rate of climb: 228 m/s

Wing loading: 459 kg/m²

Thrust/weight: 0.93

Design load factor: 7.6 g

Armament

Guns: 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan nose-mounted Gatling-style cannon, 578 rounds

Hardpoints: 11 total – 2× wingtips, 6× under-wing, and 3× under-fuselage with a capacity of 8,050 kg external fuel and ordnance

Missiles

Air-to-air missiles:

4× AIM-9 Sidewinder; or

4× AIM-120 AMRAAM; and

2× AIM-7 Sparrow; or

2× AIM-120 AMRAAM

Air-to-surface missiles:

AGM-65 Maverick;

AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Range (SLAM-ER);

AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation missile (ARM);

AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW);

AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)

Anti-ship missile:

AGM-84 Harpoon;

Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), in the future

Bombs:

JDAM precision-guided munition (PGMs);

Paveway series of laser-guided bombs;

Mark-80 series of unguided iron bombs;

CBU-78 Gator;

CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition;

CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon;

Mark-20 Rockeye II

Others:

SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod; or

Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod; or

AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Targeting pods; or

up to 3× 1,200 L Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time; or

1× 1,200 L tank and 4× 1,800 L tanks for aerial refueling system (ARS)

Avionics

Hughes APG-73 or Raytheon APG-79 Radar

Northrop Grumman/ITT AN/ALE-165 self-protection jammer pod or BAE Systems AN/ALE-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasures system

Raytheon AN/ALE-50 or BAE Systems AN/ALE-55 towed decoy

Northrop Grumman AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver

MIDS LVT or MIDS JTRS datalink transceiver