Breaking news
Finnish Air Force receives final upgraded F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.
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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Finland
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Finnish Air Force receives final upgraded F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet
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On 9 December 2016, the last F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighter to be upgraded to Mid-Life Upgrade 2 was handed over to the Finnish Air Force by Patria, the Finnish defense contractor announced on Dec. 23. The MLU 2 upgrade performed by Patria included hardware and system installations and changes required by air-to-ground weaponry. The upgrade was performed at Patria’s unit sited in Halli, Jämsä.
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 A Finnish Air Force F/A-18C fighter jet(Credit: Finnish Defence Forces) |
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“We are pleased to be able to hand over the last life-cycle upgraded aircraft on the original schedule and within budget. We can use the knowhow we gathered when we maintain Hornet aircraft, for example, which we will be doing for almost 15 years,” said Harri Lampinen, head of Patria’s Aircraft unit, during the hand-over festivities.
Petri Tolla, Brigadier General of the Finnish Air Force, thanked Patria for its good cooperation and the excellent quality of its work. Patria performed the MLU 2 upgrade on all of the Air Force’s 62 F/A-18 Hornet fighters in 2012–2016. Patria also performed the first system upgrade (MLU 1) on the Air Force’s Hornet equipment in 2006–2010 and took care of the final assembly and testing of 57 single-seat F-18 C models when they were purchased. According to the Finnish Air Force, the Mid-Life Upgrade 2 (2010 - 16) includes: -Communication and navigation system updates -Link 16 multifunctional information distribution system for interoperability -Installation of liquid crystal displays and other cockpit updates -Sensor and self-protection suite updates -New version of AIM-120 active radar guided advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) -Precision guided air-to-ground weapons including smart bomb (Joint Direct Attack Munition, JDAM), medium-range glide bomb (Joint Stand-Off Weapon, JSOW), and long-range standoff missile (Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile, JASSM) -Litening targeting pod -Mission computer software updates for new ordnance -Spares purchases and structural reinforcements -New flight test instrumentation |
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