New Navy Block III Super Hornet Gets Advanced Targeting & EW Tech

Warrior Maven F/A-18 Series: Part III – Block III Targeting Technology.

By Kris Osborn – Managing Editor – Warrior Maven

The Navy is now integrating technologies for its latest Block III Super Hornet designed to bring a new generation of sensors, targeting systems, computer processing and electronic warfare weapons to the F/A-18 fighter jet.

Given the rapid advance in sensors and long-range weapons now being matured by major US rivals such as Russia and China, Navy F/A-18 developers are planning a new Super Hornet variant equipped with advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground targeting technology, radar and electronic warfare weapons to meet emerging threats.

F/A-18 Block IIIs, to emerge in the 2020s, will be outfitted with a real-time video sharing technology called Advanced Targeting FLIR; the system uses electro-optical and infrared cameras with powerful laser technology to help pilots more quickly zero in on and attack targets with a wider and longer-range envelope of engagement, Navy and industry developers say.

“ATFLIR can locate and designate targets day or night at ranges exceeding 40 nautical miles and altitudes surpassing 50,000 feet, outperforming comparable targeting systems. As a powerful net-enabler, it can pass tracking and targeting information to other nodes in the networked battlespace,” a Raytheon statement said.

Block III F/A-18s are also being engineered with upgraded Infrared Search and Track systems as an alternative air-to-air targeting system in a “high-threat electronic attack environment,” according to Naval Air Systems Command statements.

The requirement for an IRST on the Super Hornet is the direct result of advancements in threat electronic-warfare systems. The system, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, provides the F/A-18 Super Hornet an alternate air-to-air targeting system in a high-threat electronic-attack environment.