Vikas Singal Crunch
Growler cockpit The two-seat cockpit has the pilot crew station and electronic warfare officer’s advanced crew station. The advanced crew station is equipped with a touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) mission systems control and display, 203mm x 23mm (8in x 10in) full-colour tactical LCD, and two multipurpose 127mm x 127mm (5in²) LCDs. The displays have tactical aircraft moving map capability (TAMMAC). The aircraft is equipped with hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) control and full digital fly-by-wire controls. The aircraft is fitted with a helmet-mounted cueing system (HMCS) developed by Vision Systems International, a joint venture company of Rockwell Collins and Elbit. The HMCS provides ‘first look, first shot’ high off-boresight weapons engagement capability.grownle The system enables the pilot to accurately direct or cue the weapons against enemy aircraft while performing manoeuvres. The pilot points his or her head at the target and weapons are directed to the target. Aircraft and mission data, such as targeting cues and aircraft performance parameters, are displayed directly on the pilot’s visor. EA-18G electronic warfare EA-18G integrates advanced airborne electronic attack capabilities, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman, with advanced strike capabilities, including advanced weapons, sensors and communications systems installed on the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft. The block 1 Growler is fitted with up to three AN/ALQ-99 radar jamming pods, together with an AN/ALQ-218(V)2 receiver and Raytheon AN/ALQ-227 communications countermeasures system, both of which are mounted in the bay previously designated as the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft’s gun bay. The AN/ALQ-99 jammer fitted on the block 1 Growler is supplied by the EDO Corporation. The AN/ALQ-99 receivers are installed in the tail of the aircraft and the AN/ALQ-99 pod houses the exciters and high radiated power jamming transmitters. The block 2 Growler is equipped with the APG-79 multi-mode radar with passive detection mode and active radar suppression, ALQ-218(V)2 digital radar warning receiver, and ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser. The advanced tactical APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar provides air-to-air and air-to-ground capability with detection, targeting, tracking and protection modes. The radar is supplied by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems at El Segundo, California. The interleaved radar modes include real beam-mapping mode and synthetic aperture radar mode with air-to-air search, air-to-air tracking, sea surface search, and ground moving target indication and tracking. The radar has an advanced four-channel receiver-exciter, which provides wide bandwidth capability and the ability to generate a wide range of waveforms for electronic warfare, as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground operation. It also has the ability to operate in multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground modes simultaneously. The AN/ALQ-218(V)2, developed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, is a variant of the Improved Capabilities (ICAP) III system deployed on the USN’s EA-6B Prowler aircraft. The system’s antennas are located on the port and starboard sides of the nose, engine bays, wingtip pods, and aft of the cockpit, providing 360° azimuthal cover. The passive countermeasures system provides threat detection, identification and location. The ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser supplied by BAE Systems Electronics and Integrated Systems in Austin, Texas, can be used with US and Nato radar and infrared decoys.