Although the USN has ruled out upgrading its F/A-18C/Ds as it fights to sustain funding for new Super Hornets, customers foresee potential for retrofitting some of the export aircraft. "We've done the studies and can put the active array into the F/A-18C/D. It's a question of cost and capability," says Tom Kennedy, Raytheon APG-79 programme manager.
To exploit fully the radar's multiple air-to-air target tracking and multi-missile support, and near simultaneous air-to-ground synthetic aperture-radar capabilities, the F/A-18C/D would require additional processing and new displays.
F/A-18C/D power generation would also need to be bolstered to support the APG-79. "We would be fairly limited in what we could do because of available power. We can do anything with a retrofit depending on engineering, but the tough nut is going to be cooling," says Don Thole, Boeing APG-79 programme manager.
Boeing will deliver the first eight APG-79-equipped F/A-18E/Fs in September2005 to support operational evaluation from February 2006. An initial operational capability is targeted for the following September. Another 12 aircraft will follow in Lot 28 and 22 in Lot 29 before a full-rate production decision is taken in early 2007.
USN planning calls for 413 radars to purchased, and while a number of early-build Block 1 F/A-18E/Fs will not be retrofitted with AESA, this quantity raises questions about the eventual goal of ordering 548 Super Hornets.
The USN says Singapore has asked for information on the aircraft and radar, while Malaysia, the only announced F/A-18E/Fproposed export customer, will receive aircraft initially equipped for, but not with, AESA.
Source: Flight International
