From The Archives: Modeling The F/A-18F

The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Sept. 11, 1995, featured a model of the command-and-control warfare version of the F/A-18F, originally proposed by McDonnell Douglas as a successor to the U.S. Navy's EA-6B standoff/support jammer, undergoing wind tunnel tests. 

Simulator tests conducted with U.S. Navy fliers indicated that a two-person crew in a modified McDonnell Douglas F/A-18F could perform the mission of four-place EA-6B jammer aircraft.

The tests took place in a full-fidelity simulator of McDonnell Douglas' proposed Command & Control Warfare (CW) variant of the F/A-18F, and EA-6B crews conducted the evaluations. 

Northrop Grumman, which manufactured roughly 40% of the F/A-18E/F airframe, agreed to team with McDonnell Douglas for the CW variant, serving as the EW systems integrator while drawing on expertise developed for the EA-6B and EF-111. 

Following McDonnell Douglas’ 1997 merger, in November 2001 Boeing completed an initial flight demonstration of the F/A-18F "F-1" fitted with the ALQ-99 electronic warfare system to serve as the EA-18 Airborne Electronic Attack concept aircraft. In December 2003, the U.S. Navy awarded a development contract for the EA-18G “Growler” to Boeing.

Read the Electronic Warfare feature package from page 38 to page 72.

September 11 1995 | Aviation Week - read the entire issue. 

Enjoy unlimited access to the complete Aviation Week Archive which has over 100 Years of Aviation Week — at your fingertips.

Every issue, every page, every article we have ever published. Your subscription includes full access to the archives, plus current Aviation Week & Space Technology articles (both digital and print packages available).