Boeing F/A-18D (25X) Hornet - RMAF Butterworth's Black Tebuan

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Boeing F/A-18D (25X) Hornet - RMAF Butterworth’s Black Tebuan

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Hi and welcome to my 74th, which is about the Malaysian F/A-18D (25X), hope you like it. :popcorn:

First of all:

  • Feel free to share more Information and / or correct me if something is wrong
  • Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here

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Background History

The F/A-18 has its roots in a 1966 study by Northrop that was intended to be a successor to the F-5. Originally designed as a light, agile and fast air superiority fighter, the project was continued through the US Air Force’s initiative in the Lightweight Fighter Program. Although the YF-17 lost in competition with the YF-16, the US Navy, seeing greater air-to-ground potential and preferring a twin-engine aircraft for flight safety reasons, decided to further develop the YF-17.
Northrop partnered with McDonnell Douglas to develop the F/A-18, with the Navy requesting specific adjustments such as a more resilient airframe and strengthened landing gear for carrier landings. Despite criticism and problems, including rising costs and weight gain, the first production models were delivered in May 1980. The designation was changed to F/A-18 to emphasize its versatility as a fighter/attack aircraft. The United States Marine Corps’ VMFA-314 “Black Knights” was the first unit to receive the F/A-18A and declared it as fully operational on 7th January 1983.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM; “Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia”) bought eight F/A-18D Hornets, which were delivered between March and August 1997.
On 5 March 2013, three of these Hornets, along with five British-made BAE Hawk 208s, were used in an air strike against terrorists from the Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. This strike came just before a full-scale offensive by the Malaysian Army and special police forces under Operation Daulat. The Hornets were tasked with providing close air support and monitoring the no-fly zone over Lahad Datu in Sabah.
Pitch Black 2018 marked the first participation of the upgraded fighter jets in a major multilateral exercise since receiving significant enhancements. These upgrades included the 25X Software, JHMCS, Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR), and AIM-9X Block 2 missile capabilities, but also use of JDAMs, and more. The upgrade also provided enhanced IFF capabilities, improving threat identification. The improvements provided enhanced situational awareness, targeting precision, and air combat effectiveness.

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Armament of the F/A-18D (25X)

The upgrade to the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s F/A-18D Hornet fleet introduced several new capabilities, these including the addition of a color moving map cockpit display, JHMCS, the Nitehawk targeting pod was replaced by the Raytheon AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR pod, AIM-9X-2 Block 2, AGM-84D and JDAM series integration. The radar of the Malaysian F/A-18D’s is a Hughes AN/APG-73.

Air-to-Air Missiles

  • 2-6x AIM-9M
  • 2-6x AIM-9X

  • 4x AIM-7M
  • 10x AIM-120B
  • 10x AIM-120C-5

Guided Bombs

  • ?x CRV7

  • 4-8x GBU-12
  • ?x GBU-16

  • 4-8x GBU-38
  • ?x GBU-31

Air-to-Surface Missiles

  • 4x AGM-65G
  • 4x AGM-84A
  • 4x AGM-84D

Pods / Other

  • AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR

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Specifications, Electronics and Internal

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 17,07 m
  • Wingspan: 11,43 m
  • Height: 4,66 m
  • Max. takeoff weight: 25.401 kg
  • Powerplant: 2x General-Electric F404-GE-402
    • Dry thrust: 2 × 53,3 kN
    • Afterburner thrust: 2 × 79,0 kN
  • Maximum speed: Mach 1,8
  • Service ceiling: 15.240 m
  • Rate of climb: 254 m/s
  • Maximum g-load: +9g / -3g

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Thanks for your time, hope you liked it :salute:
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]

Sources:

Links

Boeing: Boeing Delivers Malaysian Hornets on Schedule
Malaysian Support The Troops: Boeing F/A-18D+ 25X Hornet MARITIME STRIKE
F/A-18 Hornet - Military Aircraft
Malaysia’s mighty Hornets
Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornet Takes Part in Viral Tetris Challenge - The Aviation Geek Club
DEFENSE STUDIES: Malaysia Completes F/A-18D Hornet Upgrade (2)
F/A-18D Hornet - Royal Malaysian Air Force
Boeing successfully completes 25X Capability upgrade for RMAF Hornets – Alert 5
Royal Malaysian Air Force modernises Hornet jets with US sniper targeting pods - Defence Connect
https://militaryleak.com/2024/04/29/royal-malaysian-air-force-takes-delivery-of-second-f-a-18d-hornet-fighter-aircraft/

List of Suggestions of ASEAN region

3 Likes
2

No idea if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I’d support this being in the Japanese TT (and in-game in general lol)
+1

6 Likes
3

JapASEAN tech tree sounds pog

6 Likes
4

Not even gonna hold back but it should go to a Japan-ASEAN coalition sub tree

+1

4 Likes
6

+1
To china(Hot take, but not everything should be given to japan)

7

Why do you want the Hornet when China has so many domestic fighters that could be added?

5 Likes
8

Malaysia is better in china than japan
Japan can always have thailand

9

I can’t entirely see why the F/A-18D would fit in there. Japan has a ton of gaps that need to be filled, as well as a number of non-existent/paper aircraft that have to be replaced entirely.

Thailand would add replacements for the F-16AJ and three R2Y2s, another decent top tier (Gripen, though technically F-16A MLU would also count due to having AMRAAM and 9M), and some gap filler stuff. But then looking back at what Japan can get, selection is rather limited:
The big one is the F-2 Viper Zero, which I imagine may come in two forms (an earlier and later), as well as likely a later F-15J. There are likely still some WWII props, as well as some two-seat armed trainers that could be added for gap filler, but that’s about it.

Some Malaysian aircraft would actually add some more variety, with maybe the top of the line plane being the F/A-18D mentioned here (other stuff like the Hawk 200, A-4PTM, MB-339AM/CM could add even more variety). However, I think that the line should stop at the F/A-18D and FA-50, with no inclusion of the Mig-29s or Su-30MKMs (though I am more than willing to hear what others have to say regarding those, whether it’s for or against their addition).

2 Likes
12

+1 for Japan in ASEAN Sub tree

2 Likes
13

F18 YEAH

:) lol