Update – McDonnell Douglas F /A-18D

The primary operational difference between the earlier Hornets and the latest of the breed lies in its improved ability to operate in the night attack role. Earlier RAAF fighters have been limited in this area and over the years have left the night largely to the F-111 squadrons. The USMC required a single type replacement for their ageing RF-4 Phantom, OA-4M Skyhawk and A-6E Intruder aircraft in both the recce and all weather night attack roles. TheexistingF/A-18A, as operated by the RAAF, has a significantly greater night/all weather attack capabilities when compared to earlier generations of fighters like the Mirage or F-4. The F/A-18C/D expands that capability even further, as will the scheduled mods to the RAAF F/A18A.

The Marines believe they can better perform the mission with two crew stations and have thus, for the first time ever, configured their F/A-18Ds not as standard two seat combat proficiency trainers (like our own F/A-18Bs) but rather as dedicated two seat night attack aircraft. It is this aircraft that could one day be of considerable interest to Australia for reasons that we will venture into later. However, in the meantime what makes the F/A-18D so different?

The aircraft features a number of significant improvements over the present RAAF aircraft. The Hughes APG-65 radar has been upgraded with double the memory and processing capability with rewritten software that allows it to ‘number crunch’ much faster than before. This in turn allows it to accept raw incoming data, process it and display it to the crew much faster than before and in a fashion designed to aid the crew rather than overwhelm them with a mass of data, much of which may not be relevant to their present situation. Again, this is another benefit of being a software driven aircraft as against the analog F-111 or Mirage which could only achieve an increase in capability by physically replacing hardware, etc. The F/A-18D rear crew station is occupied by a weapons systems officer IY’JSO) and visually differs from the RAAF F/A-188 in that the control column is removed and two side mounted HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) controls are located on either side of the cockpit. The right Hotas controls the right CRT image (whatever task has been selected for that CRD while the left control operates the left CRT, etc. The central display hosts the Moving Map Display which can, of course, be viewed in a variety of scales to suit the occasion. Typically, the WSO would have the image from the targeting FUR on one display, a radar image on the other and the MMD in the central unit. The pilot would generally fly with the three CRTs in radar image, nav FUR (TINS) and MMD with the occasional use of other functions as and when required on whichever CRT was non essential.

USN F/A-18Ds will remain as combat proficiency trainers though the front cockpit will be able to utilise the same operational capabilities as the Navy single seat Cs. The three CRT displays still exist though the centre unit is raised for better visibility and control. The pilot also has a new enlarged Kaiser raster Head Up Display (HUD) which can display the FUR (Forward Looking Infra-red) image plus required performance parameters simultaneously when flying at night.

And this is the very heart of the new models enhanced performance – its ability to operate under cover of darkness. This is achieved by the installation in the Sparrow AAM fuselage wells of two pods. The right side pod is the targeting FUR, which being slewable to 150 degrees allows the aircraft to retain a FUR image of the target even when the aircraft is performing evasive manoeuvres to avoid hostile SAMS and AAA. The targeting FUR has a Laser Target Designator Ranger (LTDR). The laser ranger capability providing an accurate position to the mission computer. The autonomous laser designation also allows precision laser guided weapon delivery. The RAAF has contracted for 29 Ford Aerospace FUR/LTDR pods with the first due for delivery this December.

The other pod, mounted on the right side Sparrow well, is the Hughes TINS (Thermal Imaging Navigation Set) nav FUR. This essentially is bore-sighted to look ahead with a narrow though very defined field of view. In other words, where the pilot points the aircraft the FUR will display his immediate forward field of view on either the raster HUD or CRT, or both. This allows the pilot to fly the aircraft at night eyes-up while the back seater can also call up the nav FUR image on one of his three CRTs in order to verify the aircraft’s specific position in terms of forward terrain, etc. FUR range is typically in the order of 15nm under ideal conditions.

The third player in the act is the night vision goggles set worn by both crew. These allow the pilot to look outside the aircraft and see exactly what is around him. This is essential so that he can check his forward vision both through·the goggles (as he would in daylight operation sans the NVGs)·and via the even more capable FUR image in the wide angle HUD or even one of his cockpit CRTs if he prefers to fly head down at that time. The CRT FUR display is actually a little more defined than that naturally offered by the HUD and puts the pilot basically in a situation similar to that of flying on instruments.

During our briefing at MDC’s headquarters at St. Louis, I had the opportunity to fly the F/A-18D simulator and also sample the effectiveness of the night vision goggles first-hand. The results

Tour Leader

Your 1990 Farborough Tour Leader is Gordon Reid, one of our most experienced and dedicated writers. Gordon is well familiar with the UK and has visited its major aviation attractions on many occasions. Gordon writes our fascinating Traffic feature each issue in addition to being responsible for our annual Major and Regional Airline Directories. His enthusiasm and specialist aeronautical knowledge will ensure that you are ably catered for during your UK tour.

Tour Itinerary

The tour departs Sydney on 4th September by Cathay Pacific Airways to London via Hong Kong arriving at Gatwick Airport the following day. A city sightseeing tour will introduce you to this historic capital, before attending the famous Farnborough Airshow, renowned as the world’s most important, most prestigious and most exciting aerospace exhibition of the year. You will enjoy a Farnborough Trade Day, Public Day and an optional third day at this fantastic Airshow.

During your 6 night stay in London you will visit the Mosquito Museum, and the greatest Aviation Display on Earth – the RAF Museum Hendon – incorporating the Battle of Britain and Bomber Command Museums. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the RAF Museum will present a special programme, including ‘The Battle of Britain Experience’. Time is also allowed for you to enjoy the more traditional attractions of London.

During your coach tour of Britain and her aviation attractions you travel through some of England’s most picturesque villages and countryside. First stop is the beautiful cathedral city of Salisbury and the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop, which tells the story of 100 years of Army Flying, from early ballooning to today’s modern missile carrying helicopters. A brief stop is made at the incredible prehistoric monument Stonehenge.

Travelling across country into Somerset you visit one of the world’s major aviation museums, the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. The museum offers a unique insight into the history of Naval Aviation and features some 50 historic aircraft, the Concorde 002 prototype, a Falklands display, and a Japanese Kamikaze exhibition.

Northwards to the famous spa town of Bath for two nights and a sightseeing tour of Britain’s most elegant city, including the Roman Baths and Pump Room. Time for relaxing or individual sightseeing in this ancient city.

Driving through the peaceful and scenic Cotswolds, an area of quaint lanes, thatched and stone houses, we stop in the lovely village of Broadway before discovering William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford upon Avon. A visit to the impressive 14th century Warwick Castle and we head south for the university city of Oxford, home of England’s oldest university.

A spectacular weekend for all aviation enthusiasts – Saturday you will enjoy the RAF Air Show at the Royal Air Force Abingdon ‘At Home’ Day, with its theme ’50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain’, followed by the Imperial War Museum’s Air Show and celebrations of the Battle of Britain at the Duxford 1990 Battle of Britain Sunday.

Transfer to Cambridge, the famous university town situated in a district which boasts some of the most fascinating aircraft exhibitions anywhere in the world. Our 3 night stay enables you to visit the major museums and exhibits including the Imperial War Museum’s impressive collection of military and civil aircraft at Duxford – Duxford Air field was an RAF Fighter Station and played a vital part in the Battle of Britain. You will visit the American War Cemetery and the unique and world famous Shuttleworth Collection of vintage aircraft at Old Warden Aerodrome, followed by an inspection at British Aerospace Hatfield, the ‘Birthplace of British Aviation’ and the home of the BAe 146 production line.

We head north through the rich farmlands to the medieval city of York via RAF Coningsby, home of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. A day at leisure for you to explore York, followed by a day sightseeing in the Yorkshire countryside through the lovely Yorkshire Dales, Herriot Country, and the towns from the series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.

Our third day in York is spent at the Battle of Britain Air Pageant at RAF Finningley.

Travelling north you inspect the historic remains of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman defense against marauding Scottish Tribes before arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland’s Capital for a sightseeing tour of this historic city. From the Castle perched on a massive crag overlooking the bustling city step back into history as you travel the Royal Mile finishing at the Scottish residence of the Royal Family, Holyrood Palace. Enjoy a traditional Scottish night, a banquet with Scottish Pipers and dancers to entertain you and maybe sample the local haggis! We depart Scotland via Gretna Green, scene of many runaway marriages, and pass through the beautiful Lake District for some of the most breathtaking scenery in England. An overnight stop in the medieval walled city of Chester allows time for sightseeing and last minute shopping before visiting our final aviation attraction, the Aerospace Museum at RAF Cosford, one of the finest collections of military and civil transport aircraft in the United Kingdom, together with World War II and Post War aircraft, Rockets and Missiles, Aero Engines and the famous aviation Research and Development collection.

We bid farewell to England and join our Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong for an overnight stop in this fabulous city. Enjoy the shopping and sights before Cathay Pacific returns us to Sydney on Sunday 30th September.

Hotels and Travel

Accommodation throughout the tour will be in good quality hotels, comfortable, secure and well situated. Ramada Hotels will be used in London and Hong Kong. Point to point travel will be by deluxe coaches.

Tour Operators

Torii Study Tours (TARS 1154) specialise in finding the most interesting and inspirational points of call for their fellow travellers. Their travel expertise, coupled with Eric Allen’s aviation background, ensure your Farnborough experience will be rewarding and memorable.

Accompanying Members

Our sightseeing programme is varied and suitable for accompanying friends/ spouses whose interest is not entirely involved with aviation.

Cost

The price of this comprehensive trip is $5,985 based on twin share rooms. Single supplement is $890. Cost includes economy class round trip group air fares from Sydney, hotel accommodation, coach travel, transfers between airports and hotels, sightseeing as specified, Admission to attractions including 1Trade Day and 1 Public Day Farnborough Airshow ticket, Continental breakfasts in London and Gatwick, Full English breakfasts throughout the UK, and 10 Dinners. The tour is also available from other Australian centres, please contact Torii Tours for additional costs.

Cancellations

Up until 4th July, 1990, refunds will be made on cancellation less a $100 administration fee. Refunds after that date will be made at the discretion of Torii Tours. We strongly recommend you take out cancellation insurance which we can provide. were exceptional, to say the least, in terms of night vision capability, if not in the writer’s flying prowess! Essentially, it can be said that in full moonlight, the crew’s field of view with the new helmet mounted NVGs equates roughly to what one would normally see on a lightly overcast day. Half moon with intermittent clouds provides an equivalent to a darker daytime overcast; while near pitch black, no moon and merely reflected starlight through a hazy night sky (which incidentally would not occur at altitudes normally above 5,000ft) provides visibility good enough to see by at ranges acceptable for the mission’s requirement. The NVGs are certainly a thing of the future and three companies – GEC Avionics, Honeywell and Kaiser Electronics -are presently locked in a battle to win a mid year contract to supply the NVG goggles molded into a new design helmet. The new night vision is no heavier than existing units (an ejection requirement) and will also find a ready market from other types of operators including helicopters.

To cope with the NVGs, the cockpit lighting for the F/A-18 has been totally replaced so that it does not interfere and ‘bloom’ the image seen by the crew. This would occur if NVGs were used in a standard cockpit and MDC have dedicated a considerable amount of time to get the colour/brightness ratios sorted out to where the cockpit displays are fully readable without degrading the crew’s external night vision. Oh how the night fighter crews of WW2 would have loved these!

Another significant advance over the early Hornet is the Smiths moving map display. The new laser disk storage system aboard the C/D allows sufficient memory to cover an area of 840,000 square kilometers compared with a significantly smaller memory for the A model. Specific map data can also be scanned in prior to a mission if there is either a map data change or a new theatre is being investigated. The US Defense Mapping Agency apparently will be able to supply disks covering the entire world by the end of 1991. .

The rear seat weapon systems operator can also swap data from display to display and, in conjunction with the pilot, from cockpit to cockpit. It is also worth mentioning in this regard that the F/A-18D retains its wingtip Sidewinders and internal M61 cannon for the self defence role.

The Lockheed Sanders ALQ-1268 internal ECM jammer is also retained while a full range of chaff and flares can be carried as required. The Navy is hoping to ultimately get the Westinghouse ALQ-165 Airborne Self Protection Jammer, though this programme, since the USAF defected from it, has been fighting for support and may not survive the current round of projected US budget cuts.

The fact that the new D will actually replace the very capable Grumman A-6E Intruder in USMC service says something in itself as the latter is one of the finest attack aircraft ever built. Whilst under extensive evaluation at the China Lake combat range, test pilots routinely flew night missions at 100ft at 550kts with very high degrees of accuracy without needing radar. The ability to discreetly hit a high value target without electronically advertising yourself is critically important in terms of mission survival.

The Navy employs all the mission capability of the two seat D in their single seat C as does the USMC for that matter in their newly delivered night attack AV-88 Harrier lls. The decision to opt for a two place attack aircraft by the Marines was largely a product of their background with the Phantom and Intruder in this role where they felt a two crew operation was better in the long term. The USN feel confident that they can l;landle the capability offered by the new systems with a single crew member, though naturally their targets would be more of a stand-off nature whereas more often the Marines have to provide what can be historically termed as an ‘over the beach’ level of troop support.

As we mentioned earlier, the USMC two seat dedicated attack Hornet offers some interesting possibilities for Australia. We would like to also stress that the following examples are merely hypothetical, designed to allow the reader the opportunity to consider an alternative means of achieving an end goal and are not specifically the recommendations of either this magazine nor MDC.

Australia’s present long-range strike role of course is ably handled by the F-111C force. When these aircraft entered RAAF service in 1973 they represented the state-of-the-art in surgical strike, long range (by RAAF standards) capability. However, as the F-111 was designed in the early sixties all of its complex systems are analog and outdated by modern standards. The USAF is addressing this problem by upgrading its F-111 force via the Pacer Strike programme, while Australia is also looking to upgrade the aircraft’s analog systems to full digital format commencing hopefully in 1991. Already the aircraft has had a considerable increase in capability in recent years via the Pave Tack precision targeting system (refer p82 Jan 89 AA), while four aircraft have also been specifically modified as dedicated recce birds offering a near strategic reconnaissance capability unequalled by any other regional power in SEAsia. Similarly, in June last year, a $64m contract was awarded to Texas Instruments and General Electric for the upgrade of the terrain following and attack radars respectively in advance of the main programme.

However, the problem now is that the major portion of the upgrade is in trouble due to the Request For Tenders (RFTs) being over budget in the order of $200-250m. At a time of ever increasing fiscal restraint, with the spectre of the defence capital procurement budget being further drained in years to come by the submarine and Anzac frigate programme, Air Force is having to fight hard to get approval for the total upgrade when the programme is embarrassingly over budget. The options being canvassed at Defence Central are to modify fully only a number of the aircraft or modify them all to a lesser standard. Either option is impractical in real terms as with only 18 F-111C strike aircraft remaining (there are also 4 RF-111C dedicated reconnaissance aircraft),Australia could well have as little as 14 or 15 by the year 2000 and maybe only a dozen by 2010, when they are currently planned to be phased out. Hardly a viable deterrent when it is considered that at least a quarter are permanently down through the demands of normal heavy maintenance, etc. Additionally, if the aircraft is not upgraded, it will essentially be unsupportable from around 1994 onwards as the spares simply won’t exist to support the obsolete and maintenance-intensive analog electronic systems aboard the aircraft. USAF, the only other operator of the 111 will be operating an entirely digital fleet and our aircraft, if not fully updated, would be technically grounded.

The hypothetical then is offered that could perhaps the F/A-18D ultimately replace the F-111C strike force, if that force was not able to be upgraded. We would again like to point out that it is this magazine’s personal view that the 111 force should be fully upgraded, though the consideration of the latest Hornet in this role certainly bears scrutiny.

The secret of employing the F/A-18D in the dedicated longrange strike role revolves principally around two aspects of its operation. One, that with a single air-to-air refuelling, it has a strike radius of approximately 1,000nm (similar to the F-111) and secondly, that it would use precision guided weapons or missiles principally in the maritime strike role (as defined by the 1987 White Paper) and against high value coastal targets.

The F-111, of course, is not compatible with our new 707 based tanker force and it is unlikely that funds would realistically be available in the next decade to equip the four tankers with the required boom system so as to be able to tank the 111s. Conversely, a Hawker de Havilland proposal (in conjunction with Rockwell, Ansett Technologies, Honeywell and AWA), to modify the 111s internal plumbing to accept a probe and drogue system (as in the F/A-18), is also believed to up their bid even higher at a time when both bids are already over budget.

The Hornet force, on the other hand, will have an indigenous air refuelling capability by mid year when the first of four 707 tankers becomes fully operational. The F/A-18D mission scenario is thus broadly that with a single tanking around two thirds out on the outbound leg and carrying two Harpoon anti ship missiles, the F/A-18D would be able to strike a surface target close to 1,000nm from its base using three 330gal tanks or even further with two 480 and a single centerline 330gal tank (which the RAAF is not currently procuring though may do so in the future). These range profiles also include the roughly 60nm flyout of the Harpoon. A second (inbound) tanking offers an additional 150 to 200nm radius of action.

The surface targets would have either been pre-surveilled by another F/A-18 or a P-3C Orion using their radar or sensors in conjunction with the Jindalee OTHB radar system. Once the Jindalee system is fully operational around 1994/95, no surface or air target will escape its electronic gaze, which extends under ideal conditions to as much as 1,500nm beyond our shores. In this way, an F/A-18D strike force can already prioritise its targets and fly direct to the area where they are, rather than having to waste precious endurance searching for what could be a very elusive target.

When on station, the Hornet’sAPG-65 radar is optimised to be able to typically detect a patrol boat sized target at greater than 40nm or by FUR at greater than 12nm. The range against a destroyer sized target with the radar is more than 100nm or more than 18nm with the FUR. It is also worth mentioning that whilst our existing Harpoon anti ship missiles have a range of roughly 60nm, the new extended range Harpoon, which will be available from 1991, takes this out to 100nm offering the launch platform yet another ace up its tactical sleeve.

The F/A-18D can also, of course, carry a full range of laser guided bombs, Maverick, Harpoon and SLAM; its land attack derivative, normal gravity bombs plus the Mk40 and Mk63 shallow water mines and the Mk52 and 55 deep water mines, whilst still carrying its defensive gun, Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles.

The ability thus to air refuel the Hornet allows the aircraft an immense increase in its strike capability, particularly when it is considered that the aircraft could also deploy easily in the west from either Cocos Island or Christmas, in addition to the new bare bones base at Derby and, of course, Learmonth. In the north east the projected base at Weipa will give the aircraft superb long-range penetration coupled with Darwin and Tindal while further eastward Townsville, Amberley and even Norfolk Island allow the tactical radius to extend well out into the Pacific.

The Hornet, of course, has already ably demonstrated its ability to fly ultra long ranges with tanking. Readers would probably remember that the first two aircraft were delivered direct from the US West Coast to Williamtown in 1984 flying non stop courtesy of their USAF KC-10 escort while returning Hornets from No3 Squadron flew non stop Curtin (Derby) to Williamtown fol- lowing K89 last August with a single tanking from a USMC KC-130 near Alice Springs. Unrefuelled the 18 also has excellent legs with two aircraft in 1985 flying non stop Pearce/Williamtown without tanking, a distance of 1,826nm in just 3hrs 2mins albeit with a little help from tailwinds.

In this role the F/A-18D can therefore basically fulfil a similar surface strike role as the non refuelled F-111. Naturally, the boys from Amberley wouldn’t take this statement lying down and would rightly point out that their aircraft does not require the extra services of a tanker and also has a terrain following radar (TFR) that the Hornet lacks. This is true, though tactically there are few targets of practical Australian military or political interest that would involve our F-111s to be penetrating hundreds of kilo- meters into heavily defended hostile territory using the TFR mode. Most primary targets are at least situated on or near the coastline for which TFR is not required. The Hornet’s radar is also capable of being upgraded to full TFR standards and presently only requires USN funding to achieve this. At present the C/D radar has a terrain avoidance mode that looks sufficiently ahead of the aircraft to enable it to clear any major obstacle directly in its flight path irrespective of weather conditions day or night.

The other major factor revolves around manpower – the Achilles heel of the RAAF now and probably in the future. The aircraft of No82 Strike Wing at Amberley are the most maintenance intensive in the RAAF inventory. Whilst almost all of the F-111 support is handled in-house by No482 maintenance squadron (unlike most other types where their maintenance is farmed out to varying extents), it is still fair to say that in service the F/A-18 requires around a third to a quarter of the total maintenance manhours per flight hour as the F-111. There are for instance over 1,800 people involved in directly supporting the 22 F-111s which in 1989 logged around 5,000 flight hours. According to the Dibb Report, No82 wing cost $72m in 1986 which adjusted for inflation reflects a current cost of around $17,000 per flight hour for each F-111. It is naturally anticipated that the $350m (estimated) full upgrade will greatly reduce this cost as the maintenance of the aircraft’s geriatric electronics is now most certainly its Achilles heel.

The airframe is standing up well to fatigue and should provide no major problems through to the year 2010, while the Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofans have also been nicely sorted out, thanks largely to modifications developed by ARL and DSTO. However, the electronics must be replaced or otherwise the type might as well be simply parked against the fence by mid decade through non supportability. Our investigations indicated that the new electronics upgrade would result in an improvement in reliability and a reduction in maintenance of a factor of five.

USN data on its land based Hornet squadrons also reflects a massive improvement in reliability over the aircraft it replaced in addition to other older types still in the fleet, US Navy data for 1988 indicates that the F/A-18 required only 16 maintenance manhours per flight hour as against 55 for the A-6E Intruder, 65 for the A-7 Corsair II and 70 for the F-14A Tomcat. The equally important figures describing mean flight hours between failures (of avionics, etc) for the F/A-18 was 3. 6 as against only . 7 for the A-7E, 6 for the A-6E and . 5 for the F-14A. There are no publicly available numbers for the aircraft in RAAF service, although it could be assumed to be better than USN experience due to the generally better maintenance standards here. This equates to not only a vastly reduced requirement for skilled manpower and related support infrastructure but also puts more operational aircraft on the flight line where they belong.

In US service the Hornet has also been the safest carrier based aircraft yet introduced. As at late 1989 the F/A-18 loss rate stood at 4. 5 per 100,000 flight hours. Calibrated figures covering each type’s first 500,000 hours of operational service indicate the F/A-18 (theoretically) lost 22 aircraft as against 50 for the F-14, 63 for the A-6, 95 for the F-4, 111 for the A-7 and, surprisingly, 144 for the A-4 Skyhawk. Redundant systems, solid state avionics, designed-in survivability and twin engines are cited as the primary reasons for the very low comparative loss rate. Australia’s F/A-18 force as at mid year was expected to have logged 40,000 flight hours with the only loss at presstime being one aircraft through no fault of the aircraft. Several Hornets though have ingested birds or had precautionary engine shut-downs that may well have resulted in the loss of the aircraft if it had been a single engine design. The GE F404 turbofan, despite its USN and Canadian problems of 1988 (now totally cured), is also proving extremely reliable. In fact, the entire aircraft is beginning to become a worry to many of its major suppliers in that its overall RAAF reliability rate is far better than ever envisaged with the result that the requirement for spares support and ongoing maintenance is less than initially projected when the type was selected as Australia’s future tactical fighter in 1981.

The conclusion is thus that to a large extent the latest variant of the F/A-18 could perform the majority of strike roles presently tasked to the F-111. Positives would be the obviously substantial life cycle cost savings through operating a force of ‘Strike Hornets’ as against 1960’s technology F-111s. Maintenance costs, fuel costs and support costs would be a fraction of what the existing force requires, with or without the upgrade. The extensive All workload for all concerned in the initial Hornet manufacturing and assembly programme would also be substantial with much of the invested capital staying in Australia.

On the negative side, the bottom line is that a batch of say 30 F/A-18Ds would cost Australia at least $1. 3bn (flyaway cost is estimated at $US28m 1989 dollars) going on the TFFaircraft only project costs to date. Despite the immediate savings to be had by not proceeding with the digital upgrade and the long-term savings through operating a significantly less expensive to operate aircraft, it is indeed difficult to see a slot in the defence vote in the coming years for such an investment in hardware when we as Australians are content to allocate a mere 2. 3% of our nation’s GDP to its annual defence vote.

Irrespective of this, the new capabilities offered by the latest variant of the Hornet are a timely reminder that our own F/A-18s will indeed be with us for a very long time to come.

Hornet Programmenot Finished Yet

Though the final F-18 Hornet will be delivered to the RAAF this May the programme is far from over asASTA now begin to phase in a series of important Engineering Change Proposals to keep the Australian aircraft fully updated to the latest standards of theUSN. Spain and Canada will also participate in the below mentioned ECP programmes. Basically these include: ECP176C2- This mod provides laser target designator ranger provisions and adds an LTD/R arm switch to the sensor control panel along with associated wiring. This will be used in conjunction with the Ford Aerospace FLIR/LTDR that the RAAF will begin to acquire from this December.

ECP 228R1 – A retrofit of FMS advance systems provisions which will allow the fitment of new mission computers (XN-6), provision for a new armament control processor set plus additional or modified weapons interface wiring. Also provides laser blanking provisions and the incorporation of a new stick adaptor plus modified data storage set mounting with associated wiring provisions.

ECP 228R1C1 – An FMS advance systems provision which essentially provides a capability to load electronic warfare equipment software via a nose wheel well connector. ECP287 – This involves the incorporation of various advanced systems including new mission computers (XN-6), new armament control processor set,modified digital display indicators, improved stick grip, new data storage set, modified pylons, new adaptor cables and new data transfer equipment.

ECP 272R1 – This involves the transmitter consolidation with an upgraded microprocessor providing full agility with a grid modulator redesigned for improved reliability. The receiver/ exciter also has a redesigned digital module for enhanced reliability while the radar target data processor will have modified timing and control SRAs. The computer will also have its disk memory replaced with EEPROM memory for better reliability and future growth.

The above ECPs are designed to ensure that at all times our Hornets are able to accept the latest internal mods to make them compatible with new equipment that may from time to time be available to Australia. One example of this would be the present mods which will make the aircraft capable of firing the newAmraam (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile) missile later in the decade.

ASTA are already cycling through the first RAAF F-18s in this project and it is believed that ongoing ECP and structural updates will see the retention of around a third of the Hornet programme staff. AWA DefenceIndustries will also be involved in producing various laser components for the Ford Aerospace FLIR/LTDR due later this year while Phillips Defence Systems of Sydney have already been working on the above mentioned radar upgrades.

ASTA will also continue to produce, under international contract, the trailing edge flap and shroud assembly for both Spain and the USN and possibly South Korea, Kuwait and Switzerland. Total Hornet orders to date include the USN/USMC 1,157 (anticipated), Australia 75, Canada 138, Spain 72, Kuwait 40, Switzerland 34 and South Korea 120 for a total of 1,636of which nearly 900 had been delivered by early March.

Another area of interest lies with the General Electric F404 powerplant. This presently produces 10,600Ib dry thrust and 16,000lb with afterburner though the Kuwait, Swiss and Korean F-18Cs (plus later USN/USMC aircraft) will have the Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE) which will be available from late 1992. This will produce roughly 10% more thrust taking max takeoff power to 17,600Ibs. However, as this also translates to an. effective real time increase of between 20 and 30% in some areas of the envelope, the upgrading to EPE standards will be tantamount to keeping the aircraft ahead of the threat in the decade ahead. This mod is costed at around $500,000 for each engine, with the upgrade being easily performed. during the F404’s routine hot end rebuild. It is highly likely that Australia will ultimately upgrade its F-18A/B engines to EPE specs.

Also under tender is the provision of an Integrated Avionics System Support Facility (IASSF) at W illiamtown. The IASSF will enable the RAAF to be able to provide its own software support independent of the USN. This unit would also be able to provide similar support for the upgraded F-111s and P-3C Orions as they too become ‘digital’ software driven weapons platforms in the years ahead.