F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

The **F/A-18E/F Super Hornet** (nicknamed "**Rhino**" due to the small protrusion over the radome) is a carrier-capable, twin-engine multirole supersonic fighter jet primary employed by the United States Navy. The Super Hornets are the larger and more advanced variants of the F/A-18C/D Hornet (A.K.A. Legacy Hornets) produced by McDonell Douglas, and serve as the backbone of the United States Navy Carrier Air Wings. The E suffix indicated the single-seat variant, while the F suffix indicates the tandem-seat variant.

## Overview

Much like most of the American military equipment, the Super Hornet’s design can be traced decades ago, with its performance improved over the years via various upgrades. Back in 1965, Northrop has drawn up a new fighter aircraft design intended as a rework of the F-5E lightweight fighter. This will eventually become the YF-17 Cobra and exhibit many of the characteristics that makes the Hornet recognizable, such as the canted twin tail fins, the large trapezoid wings, and the distinctive leading edge root extensions (LERX).

The YF-17 Cobra first competed against General Dynamics’ YF-16 in the USAF’s Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program, which it lost. But then the Navy stepped in and requested that the YF-17 be made larger, as they wanted a multirole that can complement the larger and more expensive F-14 Tomcat interceptor. And thus the Legacy Hornet was born and entered service.

While the Legacy Hornet proved to be a capable design, it’s rather limited in combat radius. And thus the concept of an enlarged Hornet was first proposed by McDonnell Douglas in the 1980s, known initially Hornet 2000. Compared to the F/A-18, the new proposed design features a larger wing and a longer fuselage to carry more fuel, munitions and supplemented by more powerful engines.

Eventually the value of an enlarged Hornet started to show. The first contributing factor is the dissolution of the USSR and the end of the Cold War on December 26th 1991. With the United States’ biggest rival gone, military budget saw notable reduction and further restructuring is needed. The second factor is that in the same year, the intended replacement for the aging A-6 Intruder, the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II, was cancelled and left the Navy needing an alternative. Considering the first factor, the Navy decided that an update to the existing design is better than a clean-sheet one like the A-12.

In response, McDonnell Douglas proposed the “Hornet II”, which can not only replace the Intruder, but also feature better “bringback” capabilities (i.e. the ability to not waste unused munitions and fuel by dumping them into the ocean just to land on the carrier) due to strengthened wings. Grumman on the other hand proposed the Quick Strike upgrade package for the F-14, but it was deemed inadequate of an upgrade and was not chosen.

Eventually the decision was made to replace the F-14 Tomcat outright and form all-Hornet Carrier Air Wings, due to the F/A-18E/F being more cost effective. Grumman’s proposal for the Super Tomcat 21 and the navalized F-22 Raptor of the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF) were all rejected by the US Congress due to budget reasons. The decisions were met with much criticism, but Congress reaffirmed its commitment to the less expensive Super Hornet.

Various other Super Hornet models were introduced over the years, including the E/A-18G Growler which replaced the Intruder-based E/A-6B Prowler. The Block II Super Hornet which features an improved Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, larger digital displays, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), and several other avionics replacements. The latest variant of the Hornet is the Block III (originally the Advanced Super Hornet), with the most notable alterations being the inclusion of conformal fuel tanks (CFT), 50% reduction in frontal radar cross-section (RCS), and an enclosed weapons pod to reduce radar signature as well as drag.

Post Transference, the Super Hornet saw extensive operation across Elysia, thanks to the United States’ extensively developed navy and power projection capabilities. As of now, the F/A-18E/F remains nearly unchallenged in the skies of Elysia, as it boasts superior firepower, speed and mobility to almost any airborne combatants in existence, from wyvern variants to wind dragons, to propeller driven aircraft of Mu and the Gra Valkas Empire, to even the magical pseudo-jets of the Holy Mirishial Empire. The only aircraft that seems to be capable of taken on the Super Hornets are the Pal Aurora series that are employed by the Annonrial Empire and the Ravernal Empire.

## Design

Despite visually resembling the Legacy Hornets, the Super Hornet is a mostly new aircraft, the most notable differences between it and the Legacy Hornets are:

* The overall airframe of the Super Hornet is 20% larger, with a 25% larger wing area, and a 34 in/86 cm longer fuselage in order to accommodate more fuel and leave more room for avionics upgrade.
* The overall structure of the Super Hornet is more simplified, featuring 42% fewer structural components than the Legacy Hornet.
* The Super Hornet is 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) heavier empty, and 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) heavier fully loaded.
* 2 additional hardpoints are mounted on the wings, bringing the total number up to 11.
* The leading edge extensions has been extended, increasing stability and pitch rates in excess of 40 degrees per second.
* New General Electric F414 engines which produces 35% additional thrust compared to the F404 of the Legacy Hornet.
* Rectangle intakes which replaces the original oval ones, the addition of intake ramps, as well as S-ducts to reduce radar cross section (RCS).
* New up-front touchscreen control display; a large multipurpose color liquid-crystal display; and a digital fuel display for the cockpit.
* The ability to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or "buddy store" for the refueling of other aircraft.
* New AN/APG-79 AESA radar (initial production models instead used the older AN/APG-73).

## Operation History

### Rodenius War

The Super Hornet first saw action on Elysia during the Battle of the Rodenius Sea, where 2 squadrons launched from the USS *Ronald Reagan* assisted Destroyer Squadron 15 in gaining air superiority. The ensuing air battle was extremely one sided, with the Super Hornets, along with two F-35Cs, downed more than 100 Lourian wyverns without suffering any form of damage. After expending their air-to-air munitions, and all Lourian wyverns were neutralized, the jets proceeded to assist Destroyer Squadron 15 by performing strafing runs on the Lourian warships, easily damaging and destroying multiple ships in each run due to their tightly packed formation and fragile wooden structures.

The Super Hornets will proceed to play a major role in Operation Awe. Multiple units are launched from the USS *Ronald Reagan* and USS *Gerald R. Ford* to perform precision bombing of HVTs located in Jin Hark such as the Naval HQ and Wyvern Command, as well as secure air superiority over the Lourian capital city. The result is yet another completely one-sided battle, the F/A-18E/Fs easily dispatched all enemy targets while suffering zero losses of their own.

### Fenn Military Festival

The United States Navy organized an extravagant air show with Super Hornets, easily producing a much more dazzling spectacle than the Parpaldian wyvern lords, garnering much interests from both the locals and the attendees.

## Specifications

### General characteristics

* **Crew**: F/A-18E: 1 (pilot), F/A-18F: 2 (pilot and WSO)
* **Length**: 60 ft 1.25 in (18.31 m)
* **Wingspan**: 44 ft 8.5 in (13.62 m)
* **Height**: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
* **Wing area**: 500 sq ft (46.5 m2)
* **Empty weight**: 32,081 lb (14,552 kg)
* **Gross weight**: 47,000 lb (21,320 kg) (equipped as fighter)
* **Max takeoff weight**: 66,000 lb (29,937 kg)
* **Internal fuel capacity**: F/A-18E: 14,700 lb (6,667 kg), F/A-18F: 13,760 lb (6,241 kg)
* **External fuel capacity**: Up to 4 × 480 gal (1,800 L) tanks, totaling 13,040 lb (5,914 kg)
* **Powerplant**: 2 × General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans, 13,000 lbf (58 kN) thrust each dry, 22,000 lbf (98 kN) with afterburner

### Performance

* **Maximum speed**: 1,030 kn (1,190 mph, 1,915 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
* **Maximum speed**: Mach 1.6
* **Range**: 1,275 nmi (1,458 mi, 2,346 km) with armament of two AIM-9s
* **Combat range**: 390 nmi (449 mi, 722 km) combat radius for interdiction with 4 x 1,000 pounds (450 kg) bombs and 2x AIM-9s
* **Ferry range**: 1,800 nmi (2,070 mi, 3,330 km)
* **Service ceiling**: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) at least
* **Rate of climb**: 44,882 ft/min (228 m/s)
* **Wing loading**: 94.0 lb/sq ft (459 kg/m2) at max takeoff weight 127.0 lb/sqft, 620 kg/m2
* **Thrust/weight**: 0.93
* **Design load factor**: 7.6 g

### Armament

* **Guns**: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan, 412 rounds
* **Carrier bringback payload**: F/A-18E: 9,900 lb (4,491 kg), F/A-18F: 9,000 lb (4,082 kg)
* **Hardpoints**: 11 (2× wingtips, 6× under-wing, and 3× under-fuselage) with a capacity of Max payload: 17,750 lb (8,050 kg). With provisions to carry combinations of:
* **Missiles**:
	+ 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder - short range air-air missile
	+ 12× AIM-120 AMRAAM - medium range air-air missile
	+ 4× AIM-7 Sparrow - medium range air-air missile
	+ 6× AGM-65E/F Maverick - air-to-ground missile
	+ 4× AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER - air-to-ground cruise missile
	+ 6× AGM-88 HARM - anti-radiation missile
	+ 4× AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon - glide bomb
	+ 4x AGM-158 JASSM - air-to-surface missile
	+ 4× AGM-84 Harpoon - anti-ship missile
	+ 4× AGM-158C LRASM - anti-ship missile
* **Bombs**:
	+ JDAM bombs (up to 10× GBU-32/35/38/54 or 4× GBU-31)
	+ Paveway series of laser-guided bombs
	+ Mk 80 series unguided bombs
	+ CBU-78 Gator mine system
	+ Mk 20 Rockeye II cluster bomb
	+ Mk-62/63/65 Quick Strike Naval mine
* **Other**:
	+ SUU-42A/A Flares/infrared decoy dispenser pod and chaff pod
	+ AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system pod
	+ AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Targeting pods
	+ up to 4× 480 US gal (1,800 l; 400 imp gal) drop tanks and 1× A/A42R-1 Aerial Refueling Store pod for aerial refueling.
	+ 12× ADM-141C TALD decoys
	+ AWW-13 Advanced data link pod
* **Avionics**
	+ Hughes APG-73 or Raytheon APG-79 Radar
	+ Northrop Grumman/ITT ALQ-165 self-protection jammer system or BAE Systems AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasures system
	+ Raytheon AN/ALE-50 or BAE Systems AN/ALE-55 towed decoy
	+ Raytheon AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver
	+ MIDS LVT or MIDS JTRS datalink transceiver