![]() ![]() It argues that the new fighter has a “balanced” design that doesn’t rely on stealth because stealth is “perishable.” By that, the Navy means that aeronautic engineers eventually will come up with a countermeasure that will negate the LO advantage. The service has published numerous brochures, white papers, and analyses promoting the Super Hornet-the single-seat version is called the F/A-18E and the two-seat version the F/A-18F. The Navy is well aware of the Super Hornet’s limitations, but it has built a new carrier strategy around it, insisting that the “state of the art” in modern combat aircraft design-that is, stealth-isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That Hornet model, in the words of the Navy’s top aviator, is “maxed out.” The revisions that it offers can be itemized: an extra weapon station on each wing, room for more fuel, somewhat more range, and more room for improvement than can be found in the current F/A-18C/D version. Moreover it offers no advantage in speed, turning, or acceleration over today’s standard Hornet. No one-certainly not the Navy-considers the Super Hornet to be a low-observable, or “stealthy,” fighter it has only a small degree of bolt-on stealthiness. However, the new Super Hornet is a compromise design, shaped to a large extent by budget pressures, major missteps in other earlier fighter programs, and the need to have something ready in time to replace large numbers of carrier-based strike and fleet-defense aircraft that will have to retire in the next decade. A large new model, called Super Hornet, currently is in flight test and is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2001. Carrier air wings today are made up mostly of F/A-18s, and within a decade only Hornet variants will be flying combat missions from America’s flattops. The F/A-18 Hornet is the new centerpiece of naval aviation. ![]()
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