RTX announced Monday that its Advanced Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) prototype for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet passed a key software and hardware integration review.
ADVEW is designed to replace the Super Hornet’s current Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures, which combines a radar-warning receiver, AN/ALQ-214 jammer, expendable countermeasures and ALE-55 towed decoy.
The company said the review validated the system’s software and hardware integration, confirming it operates seamlessly with existing F/A-18E/F defensive systems. RTX added that the milestone keeps the program aligned with the Navy’s accelerated fielding schedule.
“Our ADVEW prototype continues to showcase significant progress in both hardware and software that will improve the aircraft’s ability to detect and counter electronic threats,” said Daniel Theisen, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon, an RTX business.
“We are on track with our fast-paced schedule and will continue developing the system to meet all necessary requirements on the U.S. Navy’s accelerated fielding timeline,” he added.
Raytheon said a Test Plan Working Group has also been completed to prepare for in-flight trials. The effort is intended to streamline government testing and speed delivery of shipsets for integration and evaluation.
Upcoming government integration testing will measure detection ranges, reaction times and effectiveness against representative threats, according to RTX. Results will determine whether ADVEW proceeds toward production and fleet deployment.
