The Block III Super Hornet aircraft incorporates a host of new capabilities ranging from an upgraded 9000-hour airframe, new range-extending conformal fuel tanks (~120 nautical mile boost in mission radius), radar cross-section improvements, enhanced satellite communications, to a new advanced cockpit display system. But the two most significant developments are the addition of the Distributed Targeting Processor-Networked (DTP-N) computer—which exponentially increases the Super Hornet’s processing power—and the high-speed, high-bandwidth, high-throughput anti-jam Internet Protocol-based Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) datalink.
A 9000 hour airframe? Worth knowing more about it.
I wonder what can be done to upgrade the Block II aircraft with at least some Block III upgrades. Australia has 24 Block II F Super Hornets and 12 EA-18G’s.
The DTP-N and TTNT tech sounds interesting, especially with the Loyal Wingman UCAV’s under development here in Australia.
From the Forbes article:
“New build Block III Super Hornets will have an airframe service life of 10,000 hours says Tebo”
Tebo: Boeing director of development for F/A-18 and EA-18G programs