F/A-18 Super Hornet - extend its service life well into the 2030’s

[lowflier03]

the jet is completely badass, and the squadron bar is epic. Every day I saw multiple divisions of JSF in the overhead at my home base, STOVL ops and all.....

And for J. Petrovic's post above....I would be interested to laugh at your reasoning why you are not a fan of the JSF. I'm sure your 3.52 GPA in Natural Science would keep you well informed.

While an opinion piece, I think this article pretty accurately sums up the list of flaws with the F-35 itself, the program as a whole, and the logic for the entire fiasco. While the author places significant blame for many of the F-35's limitations on the Marine Corps' obsession with VTOL/STOVL, it is a valid argument.
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/fd...th-the-worlds-worst-new-warplane-5c95d45f86a5

Too little power, too much drag area, too little maneuverability, too little payload, etc. I wonder if future military planners will look back and laugh at the naiveté of trying to create a one-size-fits-all solution that relies entirely on the supposition of untested, supposedly superior high technology, and then force it on all our services and those of our allies.

 

[BigRed389]

No opinion on JSF, but I do find it a little funny that in the course of about 2 decades, we seem to have gone from criticisms of programs like "Seawolf, B-2, and F-22 are overpriced narrowly specialized acquisition failures that are too expensive and will never be bought in enough numbers" to "JSF and LCS are pieces of crap because they don't do anything well at all."

 

[Pags]

The next major acquisition program will have its Analysis of Alternatives conducted by wags on the internet to ensure the professionals don't miss something.

 

[jmcquate]

Multi-role platforms have always been less that optimal in any of their roles (read up on the TFX all you youguns). But the cost of modern weapon systems make them cost prohibitive to specialized missions. The days of the F-15/F-14 are gone. The F-18 was designed to replace the F-4 and the
A-7 and later the F-14 and has done pretty well. The Marines and the Royal Navy are asking a lot of the F-35, but the VSTOL capability is paramount the the maritime force structure of the MUEs and the RN and the Harrier aint getting any younger. New technology always has teething............have patience. We have always had a track record of being pretty good at this shit.

 

[RadicalDude]

Navy is asking for funding for the Blk III Super Hornet. Conformals for all my friends?

http://aviationweek.com/combat-aircraft/us-navy-green-lights-new-and-improved-super-hornet

 

[jtmedli]

I work on Boeings, and from what I have see and read, the new JSF airframe has some flaws, it does not carry as much payload, it is a single engine a/c, and from the promised $40 mil a piece, it is now over $100 mil, which the whole reason why the JSF was designed was to create an affordable design that would replace current airframes. Some say that having one platform will suffice, by the time they work out all the kinks the JSF will cost taxpayers over $130 mil a pop.
By all means, it looks cool, what lockheed martin says it will do sure sounds promising.

On another note, if its not Boeing, im not going

What else is new? At 130M a pop it costs about the same as a 53K apparently.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Navy is asking for funding for the Blk III Super Hornet. Conformals for all my friends?

http://aviationweek.com/combat-aircraft/us-navy-green-lights-new-and-improved-super-hornet

We're going to need both. F-35C will not replace all F/A-18s in the fleet, and honestly probably shouldn't, even once it's gotten through its growing pains.

On a side note, I was walking out of the sim building in Lemoore the other day, and heard a weird whine in the sky that sounded like somebody was having engine trouble. I immediately looked up so I'd know which way to run... turns out it was just an F-35 going around following a practice approach. I'd actually forgotten they're online and flying regularly in Lemoore.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Couple of articles about the Super Hornet. Sounds like the conformal tanks will add a good chunk of range.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorent...uper-hornet-fighter-a-big-boost/#7dadf9635eb0

https://www.realcleardefense.com/ar...uper_hornet_more_punch_think_sm-6_113137.html

 

[nittany03]

https://www.realcleardefense.com/ar...uper_hornet_more_punch_think_sm-6_113137.html

Good God, that's a big helping of stupid. Then I realized it was a lawyer giving his opinion on aerospace engineering, missile capes, and developmental and operational test. FTA:

The process of qualifying the SM-6 Dual I to be carried on a Super Hornet should not be needlessly complex.

 

[PNW Flyer]

Good God, that's a big helping of stupid. Then I realized it was a lawyer giving his opinion on aerospace engineering, missile capes, and developmental and operational test. FTA:

Damn. Honestly it would be pretty hilarious to see a Rhino with 4 fucking SM-6 and 6 AMRAAM strapped to it. Wonder what the drag index would be...

 

[Jim123]

"The missile is about 15 feet in length and 1,800 pounds"

That's almost as big as a Mk48 torpedo, hey, why not? The process of making the Super Hornet a killer ASW platform should not be needlessly complex. I guess a Minuteman ICBM is out of the question.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Along a similar vein, the entire active A-10 fleet is slated for new manufacture wing kits under the last Omnibus spending bill!

 

[EODDave]

The current plan isn’t to make all Super Hornets into Block III. Only Block II, lots 26 and up are to be modified and that won’t start for years. All Block I Rhinos (except for a couple) lot 25 and below aren’t going to be put through SLM and the Block III overhaul process. When those jets get to 6k hours, they will go to the bone yard or be put on a stick. Being able to see behind the curtain on this program and SLM, I only have 2 words. Shit Show.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

When those jets get to 6k hours, they will go to the bone yard or be put on a stick.

Or take the pylons off and give them a shiny blue and yellow paint job?

 

[xj220]

That's almost as big as a Mk48 torpedo, hey, why not? The process of making the Super Hornet a killer ASW platform should not be needlessly complex.

Sure, why not? They already have all the fun anyways, why not have them take our primary bread and butter mission? In all seriousness, I think an air launched Mk 48 would be awesome.

Edit: just found out they weigh roughly 3,700 lbs.