Operating now and well into the future, the Super Hornet multirole fighter will form the backbone of U.S. Navy aircraft carrier aviation. For the aircraft to remain lethal against any known or potential threats well beyond 2030, Boeing is rapidly incorporating affordable technological innovations to develop the Advanced Super Hornet—which combines today’s highly capable, combat-proven variant of the aircraft with enhancements that enable the Advanced Super Hornet to defeat emerging adversaries for decades to come.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman began flying a prototype of an Advanced Super Hornet in August.  Outfitted with conformal fuel tanks, an enclosed weapons pod and signature enhancements, the now flight-proven Advanced Super Hornet configuration will bring the warfighter a strike/fighter total combat radius of more than 700 nautical miles unrefueled, internal weapons carriage and a radar cross section that is 50 percent less than the current Block II Super Hornet.

In the early hours of a major crisis, this combination of options will give Super Hornet crews the edge in combat power, survivability, and overall performance, while offering flexibility for Day Two missions and beyond.

Boeing added these next-generation capabilities without compromising the Super Hornet’s performance. These options, along with additional capabilities Boeing and industry are investing in, such as internal infrared search and track, an enhanced engine and a next-generation cockpit, can be affordably retrofitted on an existing Super Hornet aircraft or included on a new jet.

To learn more and see the Advanced Super Hornet in action, click here.