Nichols Martin
The U.S. Navy has received a pair of F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet jets Boeing manufactured for flight testing use.
Boeing said Wednesday it delivered one single-seat E variant and a two-seat F variant of the modernized fighter aircraft to the service branch.
The tests aim to get pilots acquainted with the new touchscreen display and networking systems of the Block III configuration, which includes modifications to aircraft range, radar signature, communications equipment.
“The aircraft will be used for carrier suitability and integration testing of all Block III mission system components,†said Steve Wade, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18G programs at Boeing.
The service branch ordered 78 new Super Hornets from the company through a contract award last year.
Block III updates are intended to extend the operational life of the aircraft from 6K hours to 10K hours.
