Super Hornet APG-79

Raytheon’s AN/APG-79 radar with an Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) antenna was developed for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, for new builds and as a retrofit replacement for Raytheon’s AN/APG-73. It provides increased detection and tracking ranges versus the mechanically-scanned APG-73, multi-target tracking, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) “ground-mapping” mode, and pre-planned product improvements including a jamming function to supplement the Super Hornet’s IDECM (Integrated Defense Electronic Countermeasures) suite.

In February 2001, Boeing and Raytheon won the $324 million engineering development contract to design, install, and test five full and two partial APG-79s. LRIP contracts were awarded in September 2003, February 2004 and June 2005. The first LRIP radar was delivered for flight testing in January 2005, with FRP approved in July 2007.

As of mid-2020, APG-79 production continues and Navy plans have the APG-79 equipping about 1,000 Super Hornets, including EA-18G “Growler” electronic attack aircraft. Despite Super Hornet production nearly ending several years ago, Raytheon’s APG-79 will earn another $2.9 billion over the next decade.