JTF-Quartz Weapon System – F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt | 210101-N-NH257-3087 INDIAN OCEAN (Jan. 1, 2021) An F/A-18C Hornet, from the "Death Rattlers" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, flies over the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) to provide close-air support to Operation Octave Quartz. The mission of OOQ is to relocate U.S. Department of Defense forces in Somalia to other East Africa operating locations while maintaining pressure on violent extremists and supporting partner forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elliot Schaudt/Released)  

INDIAN OCEAN

12.30.2020

Story by Bryan Franks 

Joint Task Force-Quartz

F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets conduct maritime operations off the coast of Somalia under Joint Task Force – Quartz in support of Operation Octave Quartz. The mission of OOQ is to reposition U.S. DOD personnel from Somalia to other locations in East Africa.
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 defense 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 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-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999, as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike. The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F are high performance, twin-engine, mid-wing, and multi-mission tactical aircraft designed to replace the F/A-18C (single-seat) and F/A-18D (two-seat) aircraft as they reach the end of their service lives and retire.
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 final F/A-18E/F Block II production aircraft was delivered to the Service in April 2020, closing out a run of 322 Es and 286 Fs.
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. The Boeing Company delivered two F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet test jets to the U.S. Navy in June 2020, with production to follow successful testing and a contract in place to provide 78 new-build F/A-18 Block III jets to the Service through 2024.
Features
The F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet are all-weather, twin-engine, mid-wing, multi-mission, carrier-suitable tactical aircraft. In its fighter mode, the F/A-18 is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense; in its attack mode, it is used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support.
The jet’s robust airframe was built with an open mission systems architecture, enabling ease of integration for new weapons and technology systems. Through incremental block upgrades, the Super Hornet has proven adaptable and capable of keeping pace with adversaries in today’s dynamic combat environment by striving to continually deliver increased lethality and mission flexibility.
General Characteristics, F/A-18 Super Hornet, E and F models
Primary Function: Multi-role attack and fighter aircraft.
Contractor: McDonnell Douglas (now The Boeing Company)
Date Deployed: First flight in November 1995. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in September 2001 with VFA-115, NAS Lemoore, California. First cruise for VFA-115 is onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Unit Cost: $67.4 million (FY21)
Propulsion: Two F414-GE-400 turbofan engines. 22,000 pounds (9,977 kg) static thrust per engine
Length: 60.3 feet (18.5 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.87 meters)
Wingspan: 44.9 feet (13.68 meters)
Weight: Maximum Take Off Gross Weight is 66,000 pounds (29,932 kg)
Airspeed: Mach 1.8+
Ceiling: 50,000+ feet
Range: Combat: 1,275 nautical miles (2,346 kilometers), clean plus two AIM-9s
Ferry: 1,660 nautical miles (3,054 kilometers), two AIM-9s, three 480 gallon tanks retained.
Crew: E models: One. F models: Two
Armament: One M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon; AIM 9 Sidewinder, AIM-9X (projected), AIM 7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, Harpoon, Harm, SLAM, SLAM-ER (projected), Maverick missiles; Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW); Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM); Data Link Pod; Paveway Laser Guided Bomb; various general purpose bombs, mines and rockets. See the F/A-18 weapons load-out page.

• Date Taken: 12.30.2020
• Date Posted: 12.31.2020 04:50
• Story ID: 386064
• Location: INDIAN OCEAN