Australia to Equip F-18F Super Hornet Fighters With Hypersonic Missiles

The Royal Australian Air Force is set to being testing a new air launched hypersonic missile for deployment from its F-18F Super Hornet medium fighters within months. The F-18F is a twin seat variant of the F-18E fighter which in U.S. service is primarily used for training purposes. The jet is potentially well optimised for strike roles using standoff missiles with a second seat accommodating a weapons systems officer behind the pilot. Australia is the only foreign operator of the F-18E/F design deploying 24 aircraft in a single frontline squadron, with the jet otherwise used exclusively by the U.S. Navy as its only fully operational carrier based fighter jet. Due to Australia’s limited technological base, the hypersonic missile program is being pursued alongside the United States and is heavily reliant on American technologies. Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds stated regarding the program: “Developing this game-changing capability with the United States from an early stage is providing opportunities for Australian industry… Investing in capabilities that deter actions against Australia also benefits our region, our allies, and our security partners. We remain committed to peace and stability in the region, and an open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Development of a capable air launched hypersonic missile for the F-18E/F could have considerable benefits for U.S. and Australian arms exports, with both Kuwait and Finland expected to deploy the fighter over the coming years and potentially showing interest in the new weapon. The missile could also potentially be marketed to clients for other American fourth generation aircraft which are operated more widely, such as Canada which uses lighter F-18C fighters, or Japan which deploys the heavier F-15J. Australia is currently replacing its older F-18C Hornet jets with F-35A fifth generation stealth fighters, and with these expected to take on the bulk of air defence duties the F-18F fleet could be dedicated to a long range strike role. The F-35’s heavy reliance on stealth, which seriously restricts the kinds of missiles it can deploy due to the need to carry weapons internally, means the F-18F can effectively complement the newer jets and will likely be better suited to serve as a launch platform for bulky hypersonic weapons. Few details regarding the new hypersonic weapon and its expected performance have been released.