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The US Navy has awarded Raytheon an US$80 million (AU$117.38 million) down-select contract to prototype Advanced Electronic Warfare or ADVEW, for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.
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This prototype will be considered as a replacement for the existing AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasure and AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver with a consolidated solution that will deliver superior electronic warfare capabilities to the backbone of the US Navy’s carrier air wing.
Bryan Rosselli, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon, explained, “We are completely replacing and consolidating the legacy systems into a one-box solution that will deliver a generational refresh to the electronic warfare capability for the lifetime of the Super Hornet.”
Raytheon’s Advanced Electronic Warfare offering will provide significant performance upgrades by modernising existing electronic warfare systems into fewer components and incorporating government-defined open architecture.
“These advancements are paving the way for the next generation of electronic warfare,” Rosselli added.
Development of this new solution will closely align and integrate with other combat-proven, radio frequency sensors and effectors employed by the Super Hornet. ADVEW will ensure F/A-18E/Fs maintain their operational electronic warfare advantage, while significantly improving survivability against advanced, complex threats.
Development and testing of ADVEW will mainly take place in Goleta, California. During the prototype phase, the system will undergo preliminary design review, critical design review, and flight testing over a 36-month period.
The US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999 as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The F/A-18E and F/A-18F are designed to meet current Navy fighter escort and interdiction mission requirements, to maintain F/A-18 fleet air defence and close air support roles, as well as an increasing range of missions, including forward air controller (airborne) and aerial tanking, as they have proven capability to replace the retired S-3 as an aerial tanker.
F/A-18E/F enhancements include increased range and improved carrier suitability required for the F/A-18 to continue its key strike fighter role against the advanced threats of the 21st century. F/A-18 E/F Block II Super Hornet, in service since 2001, incorporated a number of capabilities-enhancing technologies over the course of the last 20 years. The Block II iteration has earned a reputation as the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wing and a workhorse within the fleet
The latest Block III upgrade, currently undergoing test and evaluation, extends the platform’s service life and range, and incorporates an advanced cockpit system, reduced radar cross section, and an advanced networking infrastructure.
