US Navy AARGM-ER testing on Super Hornet

摘要

The US Navy has completed an advanced anti-radiation guided missile - extended range (AARGM-ER) captive carry flight on an F/A-18 Super Hornet. US Naval Air Systems Command announced on May 7 that the sortie had taken place on April 22 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, in support of the first live fire event due to take place this spring.The aircraft used for the operation was the two-seat F/A-18F 165932 'SD-122' operated by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) 'Strike' at Pax River. This marked the first time the AARGM-ER weapon demonstrated it could communicate with the F/A-18E/F aircraft. The separation test vehicle (STV) used its hardware and software to facilitate the controlled free flight. Capt Matthew Commerford, programme manager for the Direct and Time Sensitive Strike office (PMA-242), said: "Data collected from this will support expansion of flight testing with AARGM-ER to the full performance envelope of F/A-18 Super Hornet. This flight represents a significant step in the AARGM-ER engineering and manufacturing development phase."