The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have led the way in the Fighter Attack arena since the inception of Naval Aviation. In the ever changing environment of military aviation, the USN and USMC demand state-of-the-art upgrades and modifications to existing fleet aircraft.

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Aircraft upgrades include anything from cockpit avionics to FLIR and next generation Infra Red Search and Track (IRST). With the implementation of the Block II aircraft, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are looking to improve any and all advantageous routes in terms of technology. Ongoing combat operations require constant close air support, and the use of Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 aircrafts has proven the constant reliability of both pilots and planes. Given the needs of those on the ground and the combat air patrols, the F/A-18 series aircraft was given strike capabilities in daytime and night time operations. The weapons systems and passive targeting systems also enable aircraft commanders to manage airspace over a given target area at any time.

Integration with the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 (JSF) program has become an important role for naval aviators in the United States. Pilots have begun training and preparing for the fleet integration of the JSF and the Block II aircraft.

CPT Mark Darrah is the Program Manager of the F/A-18 E/F (Hornet/Super Hornet) and E/A-18 (Growler) programs. CPT Darrah speaks in this podcast about future efforts/requirements on the Super Hornet and Growler programs and what is next in the future of U.S. Naval Aviation.