Posted on 05/06/2018 9:30:44 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Boeing executives, including president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, welcomed on Friday the first of potentially hundreds of well-used Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets that will return to the companys north St. Louis County campus for upgrades designed to extend the life of the Navys workhorse aircraft.
The fighter jet, with just under 6,000 flight hours under its belt, is one of four Block II Super Hornets that will be delivered to Boeing this year to undergo an 18-month Service Life Modification (SLM) program meant to extend the flight hours of the aircraft carrier-based fighter to 9,000 hours.
Moving forward, funded by a $73 million contract awarded by the Navy in February, Boeing expects to see more than 40 Super Hornets per year come through its St. Louis facilities for the upgrades, which also will include new touch-screen cockpit computers for pilots, more advanced targeting and data systems and new fuel tanks to increase range.
More than 350 jets are slated to be upgraded, though some of those aircraft will be worked on at a Boeing facility in San Antonio.
Along with new Super Hornets Boeing will soon build for the Navy, the improvement program will keep this fleet healthy and strong and doing the work of the Navy well into the 2030s and stretch into the 2040s, Muilenburg said.
The program means more work for employees at Boeings massive production facility next to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, but probably wont lead to a large boost in new jobs. Still, its a boost for the companys operations, providing work well into the next decade. Just a few years ago, many had expected the Super Hornet line to begin winding down.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Fifteen or so years ago, the F-18 still had not received the planned IDECM upgrade. The equipment bay was there, but no hardware.
By that time, many of the original components of the first modules were not available, due to suppliers going out of business.
What do the modern F-18s have, as the earlier ones were never fielded with the defensive ECM they were supposed to have had from the beginning?
Good idea. I should take my Super Hornet in, too.
Kudos to whoever did the lighting.
And the mechanics were saying, We just learned this thing...
I had left the service just prior to the Marines retiring its A4 and F4 aircraft. We were all in awe by the appearance of Navy F18s.
Does it have a longer range?
“Good idea. I should take my Super Hornet in, too.”
Mine is also due for an upgrade. I can just drive it along route 90 to the facility in San Antonio. Hopefully my F-35 will be ready in time so I can give the F-18 to my kid for a birthday present.
That is a good thing. The men that flew them said it was its biggest downfall.
Since you asked:
https://defpost.com/harris-supply-86-alq-214-idecm-onboard-jammer-systems-f-18-aircraft/
Dunno if these systems will get fitted to refurbed aircraft, but a least a clue here.
Always make sure they use those paper floor mats when they change the oil.
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