Raytheon said its F/A-18 Super Hornet Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is moving into full rate production following U.S. Navy approval. The company said the production of the AESA APG-79 line is ramping up in anticipation of delivering 437 systems for the Navy in coming years. "Super Hornet Block II and EA-18G aircraft equipped with AESA’s revolutionary war-fighting capability makes naval aviation more relevant than ever to the joint combatant commander," said Capt. Donald Gaddis, F/A-18 and EA-18G Navy program manager. "Our Super Hornets and Growlers, with their cutting-edge radar technology, precise network-enabled weapons and joint interoperable and open architectures increase the combat effectiveness of all forces operating in the battle space." AESA radar offers multi-target tracking and increased situational awareness. In air-to-air engagements, the radar allows targets to be engaged at very long ranges and offers reduced aircrew workload via its resource manager. The system also offers high-resolution ground mapping for air-to-surface tracking. The AESA-equipped Super Hornet Block IIs are being delivered to two squadrons at Naval Air Station Oceana: the Black Lions of VFA-213 and the Gladiators of VFA-106. The former is the first Navy squadron to fly all AESA-equipped F/A-18F Super Hornets. In addition, AESA-equipped Block II Super Hornets are being introduced to squadrons at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. For related news