US NAVY BLUE ANGELS TO GET SUPER HORNET

Navy Blue Angels Super Hornet
U.S. Navy Blue Angels to get Super Hornet.

The U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, will receive retrofitted F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets by the end of 2021.

The Navy awarded Boeing Co., the F/A-18's manufacturer, a $17 million firm-fixed price contract to configure nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F aircraft to the standard Blue Angels' aircraft structure on Aug. 13, 2018. The squadron, which typically maintains 11 aircraft, currently flies the F/A-18C/D models.

The modification will include the removal of the M61A2 cannon, the installation of the air smoke systems, addition of a strong spring to the stick to provide constant forward force, among the main ones. They will also receive the classic blue/yellow color typical of the Team.

The Blue Angels are equipped with Hornets since 1986, the transition to the new aircraft follows the choice of Navy to withdraw the type from its fleet to move to the most modern and cheaper-to-maintain Super Hornets.

The choice of the Super Hornet over the modern F-35C fighter jet is quite obvious due to the cheaper price of the aircraft.


Written by Matteo Sanzani


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