- Yes
- No
History
The F/A-18 Hornet, entered service in 1983, proved its value as a carrier-based strike fighter throughout the 1980s. The success of F/A-18A/B continued with block upgraded version, F/A-18C/D.
Meanwhile in the late 1980s, Finnish Air Force started to look for a successor to the old, outdated J35 Draken and MiG-21 series aircrafts. The F-16, Mirage 2000-5, JAS 39 Gripen, MiG-29, F/A-18C/D Hornet was offered for consideration, and FAF chose F/A-18 Hornet. The FAF received its first Hornet in November 1995. In the following year, first Finnish-built Hornet is rolled out from Patria Finavitec’s production line. Total 57 F/A-18C and 7 F/A-18Ds were delivered, and the production ended in August 2000.
Initial Finnish designation for Hornet is F-18C/D without ‘A’ prefix, since it was delivered without air-to-ground capabilities. However the MLU 2 upgrade restored some of its A2G capability, and now Finnish Hornets are simply referred as F/A-18C/D.
The Finnish Air Force operates 62 F/A-18C/Ds as of 2023.
Design
Airframe and Engine
As an American-origin fighter jet, the F/A-18 has an uncommon design represented by large strakes and mildly swept wings. Due to this design, the Hornet is suitable for low-speed maneuvering. It is also notable for great high angle-of-attack capability, thanks to its large leading-edge-extensions (LEXs).
The Finnish F/A-18C/Ds are late production model with F404-GE-402 Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE). EPE improves flight performances by providing much higher thrust than original F404-GE-400. For example, Hornet with EPE performs 27% better than a non-EPE Hornets in transonic acceleration at 35,000 ft (10.6 km).
The major drawback of Hornet is slow acceleration in transonic regime and low top speed. It could barely exceed Mach 1 at sea level, and it cannot reach Mach 2 even at optimum altitude.
Avionics
Specifications of AN/APG-65 Radar (basis of APG-73)
Antenna gimbal limit:
- Azimuth: ±70°
- Elevation: ±60°
Scale:
- Range: 5/10/20/40/80/160 nm (9/19/37/74/150/300 km)
- Azimuth: 20/45/90/140°
Elevation scan pattern: 1/2/4/6 bar
Beamwidth: 3.3°
Scan rate: 65°/s
Frequency: I band
Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, LPRF, Interleaved
A/A radar mode:
- Range While Scan (SRC PD)
- Range: ~80 nm (150 km)
- Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, Interleaved - Velocity Search (SRC PDV HDN)
- Range: ~100 nm (185 km)
- Waveform: HPRF - Track While Scan (TWS PD)
- Range: ~40 nm (74 km)
- Max No. of target tracks: 10 (8 displayed)
- Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, Interleaved - Single Target Track (TRK PD)
- Boresight (ACM PD)
- Range: 500 ft ~ 5 nm (0.15 ~ 9 km)
- Scan area: 3.3° × 3.3° - Vertical Acquisition (ACM PD)
- Range: 500 ft ~ 5 nm (0.15 ~ 9 km)
- Scan area: ±5.3° in azimuth, -14° ~ +60° in elevation (10.6° × 74°)
(Raid Assessment and HUD Acquisition modes are excluded, because they are not necessary in game)
Finnish F/A-18C/Ds are equipped with AN/APG-73 radar. Compared to the original AN/APG-65, the AN/APG-73 features 7~20% longer detection range and enhanced ECCM capabilities.
Specifications of LITENING AT
Weight: 450 lb (204 kg)
Resolution: 640 × 512 pixel
Field of view (data of LITENING III):
- NFOV: 0.77° × 0.77°
- MFOV: 2.8° x 2.8°
- WFOV: 18.4° × 21.1°
Field of regard (data of LITENING III):
- Pitch: -150° ~ +45°
- Roll: ±400°
MLU 2 Hornets could carry LITENING targeting pod on centerline station.
The Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was integrated to Finnish Hornets during first phase of the Mid-Life Upgrade, from 2006 to 2010.
Armament
Unlike original F/A-18C/Ds, Finnish Hornets lacked air-to-ground capabilities. This was because the Finland was not allowed to acquire aircraft with A2G capabilities under the Treaty of Peace with Finland in 1947. Finland Air Force even once changed its name to F-18, without ‘A’ prefix.
Eventually the Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) 2 in 2015 restored some A2G capability, makes the Hornet to be a first Finnish aircraft to drop live bombs in 70 years. The MLU 2 Hornets are capable of using AGM-154C JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM, JDAMs.
The SAAB BOL-500 dispenser is also added with the MLU 2 program. It is mounted on the both sides of SUU-63/A pylons on the station 2/8. Each dispenser stores 160 chaff/flare cartridges.
Specifications
Crew: 1
Length: 56 ft (17.07 m)
Wingspan:
- 40.4 ft (12.31 m) w/ missile
- 38.4 ft (11.7 m) w/o missile
- 37.5 ft (11.43 m) w/o missile and launcher
Height: 15.3 ft (4.66 m)
Wing area: 400 sq ft (37.17 m²)
Aspect ratio: 3.52
Weights:
- 23,000 lbs (10,433 kg) empty
- 51,900 lbs (23,540 kg) maximum takeoff
Fuel:
- Internal: 10,860 lb (4,925 kg)
- External: 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) with 3× FPU-8/A fuel tanks
Powerplant: 2x F404-GE-402
- Uninstalled intermediate thrust: 11,000 lbf (48.9 kN)
- Uninstalled maximum thrust: 17,600 lbf (78.2 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at sea level:
- @ Mach 0.8: 19,342 lbf (86 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 19,310 lbf (85.9 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 19,062 lbf (84.8 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 17,376 lbf (77.3 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 5,000 ft (1.5 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 17,612 lbf (78.3 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 18,261 lbf (81.2 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 18,907 lbf (84.1 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 18,172 lbf (80.8 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 20,000 ft (6.1 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 11,152 lbf (49.6 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 12,202 lbf (54.3 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 13,232 lbf (58.9 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 14,982 lbf (66.6 kN)
- @ Mach 1.4: 16,552 lbf (73.6 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 40,000 ft (12.2 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 4,665 lbf (20.8 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 5,134 lbf (22.8 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 5,631 lbf (25 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 6,993 lbf (31.1 kN)
- @ Mach 1.4: 8,678 lbf (38.6 kN)
- @ Mach 1.6: 9,740 lbf (43.3 kN)
Performances:
(Note: ‘fighter escort configuration’ is 60% internal fuel, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder, 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM)
- Maximum speed (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: Mach 1.06
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km): Mach 1.76
- Design limit speed (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: Mach 1.1
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km): Mach 2.0
- Altitude: 50,000 ft (15,250 m)
- Sustained turn rate (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: 19.2°/s
- @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 12.3°/s
- Instantaneous bleed rate in a turn (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: 54 kt (100 km/h) per second
- @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 62 kt (115 km/h) per second
- Acceleration time (fighter escort configuration):
- @ 5,000 ft (1.5 km), from Mach 0.8-1.08: 21 seconds
- @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 34.6 seconds
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 55.8 seconds
- Thrust-to-weight (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level, static: 0.845
- @ 5,000 ft (1.5 km), Mach 0.9: 0.981
- @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km), Mach 0.9: 0.685
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km), Mach 0.9: 0.385
- Specific excess power (1 g level flight, Mach 0.9, fighter escort configuration):
- @ 10,000 ft (3 km): 699 ft/s (213 m/s)
- @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km): 512 ft/s (156 m/s)
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km: 247 ft/s (75 m/s)
- Maximum command limit g: -3 ~ +10g
- Lift-off speed: 115 knot (213 km/h)
- Approaching speed: 140 knot (260 km/h)
Armament:
- Hardpoints: 9 total (2× wingtip, 4× under wing, 3× fuselage)
- Gun: 1× M61A1 20 mm gun (578 rounds)
- Air-to-air missiles:
- AIM-9M/X Sidewinder
- AIM-120B/C-7 AMRAAM
- Air-to-surface missiles: AGM-158 JASSM
- Guided bombs:
- AGM-154C JSOW
- GBU-31/32/38 JDAM
Avionics:
- Radar: Hughes AN/APG-73
- RWR: AN/ALR-67(V)
- EO sensors: AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT
- HMD: JHMCS
- Night vision devices: Vision Systems NVCD
Countermeasures:
- Internal: 4× AN/ALE-47 (120 total)
- External: 4× BOL-500 (640 total)
Sources
- ADA142103 F/A-18 AN/APG-65 Radar Case Study Report by Paul F. Goree
- Aeroguide 20: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet by Roger Chesneau
- Air Defense in Northern Europe by Heikki Nikumen
- All Finnish Air Force’s Hornets Upgraded to MLU 2 from Finnish Air Force
- An Illustrated Guide to Modern Fighter Combat (1987) by Mike Spick
- Aviation Classics issue 23
- BOL Product Sheet from SAAB
- Chapter 1 Radar Fundamentals by 곽영길
- Combat effectiveness of the joint helmet mounted cueing system by Taylor N. Thorson
- Development of Finland’s air defence capability from Finnish Air Force
- F/A-18 Hornet in action: Aircraft Number 136 by Lou Drendel
- F-18 Hornet in detail & scale part 1: Developmental & Early Production Aircraft by Don Linn
- F-18 Hornet in detail & scale part 2: Production Aircraft by Don Linn
- F/A-18 Hornet in Action No.214 by Lou Drendel
- Fighter Aircraft Avionics Part III by Solo Hermelin
- Finland - F-18 Mid-Life Upgrade Program from Defense Security Cooperation Agency
- Finnish Air Force Aircraft Fact Sheet: Boeing F/A-18C and F/A-18D Hornet from Finnish Air Force
- Government of Finland - F/A-18 Mid-Life Upgrade Program from Defense Security Cooperation Agency
- LITENING III brochure from Ultra Electronics
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (Classic Warplanes) by Mike Spick
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet Owners’ Workshop Manual: 1978 onwards (all marks) by Steve Davies
- Modern Military Aircraft: Hornet by Lou Drendel
- NSIAD 96-98 from United States General Accounting Office
- Osprey Combat Aircraft Series: F/A-18 Hornet by Lindsay Peacock
- Risk Management Lessons Learned from the APG-79 Radar Test Planning and Execution from VX-31
- Successful first flight for BOL countermeasures dispensing system on F-18 in Finland from SAAB
- Using Helmet Mounted Displays to Designate and Locate Targets in the Urban Environment by Freddie Paul Henderson
- Walk Around No.18: F/A-18 Hornet by Greg Davis and Chris Neill
- WarbirdTech Series Volume 31: Boeing F/A-18 Hornet by Brad Elward