The US Navy awarded a $48m contract in November 2011 to develop the Type 4 Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which replaced the Type 3 AMC. The production of DTS for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter began in February 2012. First flight of the EA-18G was in August 2006.īoeing received a $48.9m contract in May 2009 for the development of a Distributed Targeting System (DTS) for Super Hornet aircraft. The US Navy has approved System Development & Demonstration (SD&D) for an electronic attack version of the Super Hornet, the EA-18G, to replace the EA-6B Prowler.ĮA-18G incorporates the Improved Capability III (ICAP III) suite developed for the Prowler. The F/A-18F Block 2 aircraft cover the capability gap between the retirement of the F-111s in December 2010 and the delivery of the first F-35 Joint Strike fighter to Australia in 2018. The first five aircraft were supplied in March 2010, with the rest delivered by October 2011. The system took first flight aboard the Super Hornet in February 2014.Īustralia requested the FMS of 24 F/A-18F Block 2 aircraft in February 2007. The US Navy awarded a $135m contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the IRST sensor system in November 2011. Boeing was awarded a $82m contract by the US Navy for the supply of 12 IRST systems in December 2016. The IRST system was approved for low-rate initial production by the US Navy in January 2015. Boeing has selected Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to supply the system. The aircraft is fitted with new mission computers, a fibre-optic network and a Raytheon AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod.īoeing joint helmet-mounted cueing systems and Raytheon AIM-9X next generation Sidewinder air-to-air missile capabilities were also included in the design.īoeing announced in April 2007 that it had been asked by the US Navy to provide an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system for the F/A-18E/F.
The first aircraft was delivered in September 2003. Improvements for Block 2 aircraft included a redesigned forward fuselage with fewer parts, as well as changes to the aircraft’s nose to accommodate the Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The aircraft was also deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Super Hornet made its combat entry in November the same year, striking air defence sites in Southern Iraq with Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). The F/A-18E/F began its maiden operational deployment on board USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in July 2002. More than 500 aircraft were delivered by April 2011. Total requirement was for at least 545 aircraft. A second multi-year contract was signed in January 2004 for 42 aircraft to be purchased between 20.
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