Post by Sailor on Jul 16, 2014 14:36:08 GMT -8
Fallout from the "Silent Eagle" proposal?
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FARNBOROUGH, England -- The Navy recently conducted several ground and airborne tests of stealth-enhancing upgrades to the F/A-18 Super Hornet in an effort to improve the fighter aircraft's ability to elude radar detection, service leaders said.
"The point of putting on a conformal fuel tank and the point of the external weapons pod would be to carry fuel and weapons in a way so as not to increase the signature of the airplane," said Capt. Frank Morley, F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager.
Working in tandem with F-18-maker Boeing, the Navy conducted a series of ground assessments and flight test to see how these modifications improved the stealth-like characteristics of the aircraft. The tests occurred as the F-35 continues to face problems with the recent grounding and Boeing officials lobby the Navy to buy more F/A-18s as a backstop for F-35 problems.
Supporters of the F-35 often counter Boeing's lobbying efforts saying the F/A-18's lack of stealth would make it useless in a war against an enemy like Russia, China, or Syria that bolster advanced air defense systems.
More here:
www.military.com/daily-news/2014/07/15/navy-tests-stealth-like-features-for-super-hornet.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Sounds interesting.
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FARNBOROUGH, England -- The Navy recently conducted several ground and airborne tests of stealth-enhancing upgrades to the F/A-18 Super Hornet in an effort to improve the fighter aircraft's ability to elude radar detection, service leaders said.
"The point of putting on a conformal fuel tank and the point of the external weapons pod would be to carry fuel and weapons in a way so as not to increase the signature of the airplane," said Capt. Frank Morley, F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager.
Working in tandem with F-18-maker Boeing, the Navy conducted a series of ground assessments and flight test to see how these modifications improved the stealth-like characteristics of the aircraft. The tests occurred as the F-35 continues to face problems with the recent grounding and Boeing officials lobby the Navy to buy more F/A-18s as a backstop for F-35 problems.
Supporters of the F-35 often counter Boeing's lobbying efforts saying the F/A-18's lack of stealth would make it useless in a war against an enemy like Russia, China, or Syria that bolster advanced air defense systems.
More here:
www.military.com/daily-news/2014/07/15/navy-tests-stealth-like-features-for-super-hornet.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Sounds interesting.
