Royal Australian Air Force receives final APG-73 Radar for Hornet upgrade program

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received the last F/A-18 Hornet that has been upgraded with the APG-73 radar system. Raytheon delivered 71 APG-73 radar systems as part of the Hornet Upgrade (HUG) program. Raytheon’s support of the F/A-18 aircraft is set to continue for the next 20 years, assuring the ongoing effectiveness of the Australian squadrons. In the HUG program, the RAAF F/A-18s have been progressively upgraded to a standard similar to the U.S. Navy F/A-18C/D. The APG-73, which replaced the original APG-65 system, gives the RAAF a state-of-the art radar system that can be upgraded with new software as future threats evolve. Deliveries of the new fire control radar system began in December 2000. The HUG program marks the first radar upgrade of any international F/A-18 Hornet. The RAAF selected the F/A-18 with its APG-65 radar set in 1981. The RAAF is also workingwith the U.S. Navy and Raytheon in an APG-73 software co-development program to develop new tactical software uniquely tailored to meet RAAF requirements. The first phase of the software program will conclude later this year with the release of an Operational Flight Program (OFP-19). Requirements for phase two have already been defined, and a third phase is currently under discussion. Other systems offered by Raytheon to international F/A-18 operators include: the ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR); the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP); the ALE-50 Towed Decoy and other electronic warfare systems; and the Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), Paveway, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and AIM-9M and AIM-9X weapons. In addition, Raytheon is developing the APG-79 Advanced Electronically Scanned Array for the F/A-18 Super Hornet, a program currently in flight test. Raytheon Company’s Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) designs, develops and manufactures advanced systems for precision engagement; missile defense; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.