With today's announcement that the Liberal Government will purchase an undisclosed number of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as an interim replacement to Canada's CF-18 Hornet fleet; there have been a number of questions as to the differences between Canada's current Hornet's versus the new proposed "Super Hornets."
The Royal Canadian Air Force's current fleet of CF-18s were adapted from the American McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 A/B variant. In 1977, the Canadian government identified the need to replace the NATO-assigned CF-104 Starfighter, the NORAD-assigned CF-101 Voodoo and the CF-116 Freedom Fighter (also known as the CF-5). The Canadian government originally purchased 138 CF-18s that were almost identical to the American F/A-18s with a few exceptions. The undercarriage of the CF-18s were painted with a false canopy - something the US Marines later adapted.
The CF-18s were originally produced between 1982 and 1988. Of the original 138 purchased, the RCAF has 77 remaining. As of January 2016 - each CF-18 has flown close to 6,000 hours. The earliest models of the fleet are approaching 40 years of age; and with life-extension plans to keep them flying until 2025; the entire fleet will be older than 40.
Boeing took over McDonnell-Douglas and developed the F/A-18 into the F/A18 E/F Super Hornet. The aircraft took its maiden flight in 1995, and went into service in 1999. While the two aircraft appear remarkably similar; it is actually a completely new air-frame - despite having 90% of its avionics in common with its older siblings.
The Super Hornet has 25% larger wings; is capable of carrying 33% more fuel; has 41% longer mission range; 35% more thrust; and 50% more endurance. The Super Hornet also has the ability to carry a heavier back-load; which increases the ordinance available.
While the Super Hornet is obviously a larger aircraft that the CF-18 Hornet; its radar cross section is actually smaller - but it is still not "Stealth."
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| Simple scale version of the F/A-18 C/D (also based on the A/B which the CF-18s are modeled on) versus the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet |
Here is a thought: If Canada intends on future deployments of CF-18s against ground insurgencies (Kosovo, Iraq (1999), Libya, and Iraq (2014/16) perhaps a purchase of EA-18's should also be considered. This would mean fewer fighters could be purchased in any future purchase; and Canada could easily maintain a medium fleet of ground attack aircraft and a medium fleet of fighter aircraft instead of one large fleet of multi-role aircraft.
The F18 is a navy carrier multirole bomber/fighter (in that order), which is something Canada should never had adopted in the first place over much better land based craft for specific roles , such as F15 air superiority fighter, the A10 ground attack bomber or even the F20 light tactical interceptor fighter(which we could have easily produced here from our old f5 assembly lines)- each of these planes far more cost effective for Canada's defensive needs and each which has a longer frame life than the Hornet.
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