The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet could be a replacement for the F-35.
At the end of 2016, US President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he asked Boeing to set a price for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter model because Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter project has
In an article on the National Interest, defense expert Dave Majumdar provided correlational assessments between these two types of fighter jets to consider the feasibility of Trump’s proposal.
Invisibility
This is the factor that the F/A-18E/F fighter cannot compare with the F-35.
The company also tested auxiliary fuel tanks that help the F/A-18E/F carry an additional 1,587 kg of fuel and a stealthy weapons bay that holds 1,133 kg of weapons.
Electronic warfare
Russia and China are developing low-frequency radars that can detect and track American stealth fighters.
In fact, the F-35 has formidable electronic attack capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare variant are also equipped with the AESA AN/APG-79 radar with similar features to the AN/APG-81 radar.
Another advantage of the F-35 over the F/A-18E/F is the AN/ASQ-239 system, which integrates a series of antennas into the fuselage to provide a detailed picture of the battlefield to the pilot.
The F-35 possesses many modern electronic systems.
The US Navy is adding combined defense electronic countermeasures (IDECM) packages to the F/A-18E/F fighter, helping it significantly enhance electronic warfare power.
In addition, the advanced Super Hornet variant can be equipped with the EA-18G Growler’s ALQ-218 electronic warning, support and intelligence system.
Sensor devices
The Super Hornet does not have an integrated electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) like the F-35, but it can carry many advanced sensors.
The F-35 program will have to overcome technological problems in the Block IV configuration in the early 2020s. But the process of upgrading individual systems on the F-35 will be much more complicated than on the 4th generation platform.
Because there are no obstacles in breaking the stealth design, aircraft like the F/A-18E/F can be upgraded and installed with new sensors much more easily than the F-35.
However, the F-35 holds an outstanding advantage when completing its development process.
Currently, only F-22 and F-35 fighters have this capability.
Data link
One of the advantages of the 4th generation design is that the designer does not have to worry about revealing the aircraft’s location.
The problem is that no system is capable of transmitting all the information provided by the F-35’s sensors, which causes headaches for the US Navy.
Although the F/A-18E/F has never been a stealth aircraft, it could be a solution that saves 80% of the US Navy’s procurement costs.
The US Air Force will also be dissatisfied, but must still accept receiving the F/A-18E/F.
`Mr. Trump’s motive is most likely to promote competition between the two giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, thereby finding ways to reduce costs. This is probably not a serious proposal,` Majumdar said.
The US stopped flying all F-18s because of the cockpit cover incident
Daniel