F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

Harris is providing the latest in cutting-edge advanced avionics for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The new avionics will provide smaller, lighter, faster, higher-capacity, fiber-optic networking equipment on board the F/A-18E/F and enhance the situational awareness capability of its flight crews.

Harris is developing the Fibre Channel Network Switch (FCNS) for the F/A-18E/F. Fibre Channel replaces and augments the older and much slower serial multiplex busses. Each aircraft requires two redundant FCNS units, which provide a total of 16 independent input and output channels. Each channel provides a 1 Gigabaud serial network link to other Fibre Channel-equipped avionics systems networked to the aircraft’s mission computer.

In addition, Harris is integrating a U.S. Navy-developed early Terrain Awareness Warning System (eTAWS) into its existing Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC) Digital Map Computer (DMC). TAMMAC DMC, the standard digital map computer for all Navy and Marine Corps aircraft upgrades, was initially delivered to Boeing in September 1998 under a separate contract. The eTAWS enhancement will provide Super Hornet pilots with an advanced terrain awareness and avoidance system integrated with the real-time-in-the-cockpit digital map display provided by TAMMAC DMC.

Harris delivered the Fibre Channel Network Interface Controllers (NIC) used for the aircraft’s Active Electronically Steerable Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Each NIC provides a 1 Gigabaud serial network link to other AESA radar systems.

The Super Hornet is the newest version of the combat-proven F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft is 25 percent larger than its predecessor but has 42 percent fewer parts. Both the single-seat E and two-seat F models offer increased range, greater endurance, more payload-carrying ability, more powerful engines, increased carrier bringback capability, enhanced survivability and a renewed potential for future growth.

For more information, please contact a HarrisSenior Executive Account Manager.