By Skies Magazine | August 3, 2023 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 21 seconds.
Mirabel, Quebec-based L3Harris announced on Aug. 2 that it delivered the inaugural fighter aircraft as part of the Hornet Extension Project (HEP) for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The upgraded CF-188 Hornet aircraft was delivered this past June from L3Harris’s Canadian fighter aircraft center of excellence facility in Mirabel.
The company is responsible for much of the design and all of the aircraft’s modifications and upgrades associated with the HEP. The project aims to enhance the RCAF’s aging Hornet fleet to enable the aircraft to meet operational commitments, including those to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), until the forthcoming F-35 next-generation fighter aircraft reaches full operational capability in 2032.
The Hornet Extension Project includes a two-phased approach. In the initial phase, all 94 Hornets within the fleet will receive a series of upgrades, including the integration of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) to replace the existing transponder; the integration of Honeywell GPS/INS systems; the integration of Collins Aerospace AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 (Gen 6) radios and airborne Joint Tactical Radios; upgrades to the sniper targeting pod; enhanced mission computers and data transfer units; and updated software for the Advanced Distributed Combat Training System (ADCTS) for networked flight simulation training.
“These adjustments will allow the CF-188s to continue to utilize civilian airspace in the future and to remain interoperable with Canada’s allies,” L3Harris said.
In the second phase of the HEP, 36 select aircraft will receive upgraded hardware and software to improve their combat capability. Most noteworthy is the replacement of the current APG-73 radar with the Raytheon APG-79(V)4 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
Moreover, the select Hornets will receive new and advanced weaponry, including the Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II air-to-air short-range missile, the AIM-120D advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, and the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), which is an air-to-surface glide bomb with a striking unclassified published range of at least 100 kilometers.
“L3Harris is Canada’s only fighter aircraft center of excellence,” said Ugo Paniconi, L3Harris’s general manager. “This contract stands as a testament to our unwavering performance and dedication to our customers’ mission. For over three decades, we have faithfully maintained Canada’s sole fighter aircraft fleet, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue this rich legacy of in-service support for Canada’s future F-35 fleet.”
The ambitious timeline of the HEP includes initial operating capability for six upgraded aircraft by the close of 2023. The fleet is expected to be fully operational by June 2025.
In an interview with Skies in late 2022, RCAF Commander LGen Eric Kenny noted that the project “gives our aircrew and ground crew training on how to use some of these more advanced systems so that when we step into the future fighter, it should be more seamless.”
Our armed forces are obsolete and embarrassing. The ships we build are antiques on their first sailing and we have lost face with most other countries because we don’t pay our fair share when it comes to NATO. Very sad situation because the needs of our armed forces have been ignored by the last ten governments that have been in power. We rely on the Americans to protect us and that is just wrong. What happens if Trump becomes President, they will do to us what Russia is doing to the Ukraine. We should not even be a G-7 country, we are taxed to death in order to put on the impression that we are wealthy but we are weak because of bad government. Don’t get me wrong, the Conservatives would be worse and God only knows what the NDP would do…..we are in trouble.
Nothing could be worse than Trudope