Get Your First Look At The Navy's Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet Test Jet
This is the first of two jets the Navy will use for initial testing ahead of starting to receive fully upgraded jets later this year.
By Joseph TrevithickMay 8, 2020
The War Zone
Boeing has released a video of the rollout of the first of two Block III F/A-18F Super Hornet test jets for the U.S. Navy. The service plans to use these aircraft, which do not feature the full set of upgrades, for various flight tests and to explore new concepts of operation ahead of the delivery of jets with the complete Block III package, which is set to begin later this year.
The first #FA18 Block III #SuperHornet test jet has rolled out of final assembly. Two of these test jets will head to the @USNavy, where they’ll help pilots familiarize themselves with the updated jets and be used in carrier flight tests. pic.twitter.com/ojmn7Uy4Z0
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) May 8, 2020
The Chicago-headquartered plane maker announced the final assembly of the first Block III Super Hornet testbed at its production facility in St. Louis, Missouri on May 8, 2020. The video offers views of the exterior of the jet, which remains largely unchanged from earlier Super Hornets. This particular aircraft does not have its conformal fuel tanks fitted, though that is a key piece of the full Block III upgrade. The video also highlights the customizable wide-area multi-function display in one of the F/A-18F's two cockpits, which is another important element of the Block III package.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33368/get-your-first-look-at-the-navys-block-iii-f-a-18-super-hornet-test-jet
