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Aircraft stores configuration for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, also called the stores load-out or payload for the aircraft, describes the configuration options of what stores can be loaded on the F/A-18E/F aircraft for a particular mission profile. Stores are defined as any device intended for internal or external carriage and mounted on aircraft suspension and release equipment, whether or not the item is intended to be separated in flight from the aircraft. In the context of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multi-role fighter aircraft, stores may include missiles, rockets, bombs, mines, pods, fuel tanks, practice stores, and chaff and flares, amongst other items.

In order to carry stores, the aircraft features internal space allocated to loads, as well as hard points on or under the wings and fuselage. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet features 11 hard points to carry stores on or under the aircraft. These hard points are numbered 1 through 11 from right to left, if viewing the F/A-18E/F from the front, or left to right if viewing the aircraft from behind.

In addition to being numbered, the hard points are also named. Going from the outside of the wings to the fuselage, hard points 1 and 11 are the wingtip stations. Just inside of the wing fold are hard points 2 and 10, called the outboard stations. Moving further inside are hard points 3 and 9, called the midboard stations. Hard points 4 and 8 are called the inboard stations, which means that there are a total of 8 hard points on or under the wings of the F/A-18E/F. Hard points 5 and 7 are called the fuselage stations, and the final hard point 6 is called the centerline station.

Hard Points 1 and 11 - Wingtip stations
Hard points 1 and 11 are the wingtip stations. These stations will exclusively be armed with a LAU-127 common rail launcher on each wingtip, which will then carry one variant of an air-to-air missile AIM-9 Sidewinder each. Specifically, hard points 1 and 11 will be configured to carry the most common wingtip station store loaded as of 2020, which will be the AIM-9X Block II launched by a LAU-127E/A common rail launcher.

For training purposes, the aircraft may also carry the CATM-9 Captive (non-launching) Air Training Missiles. In addition, a Tactical Combat Training System (TCTS) pod (shaped like a missile) can be attached to the LAU-127 at the wingtip stations.

Hard Points 2 and 10 - Outboard stations
Hard points 2 and 10 are the outboard stations. These stations will feature a SUU-80A/A Low Drag Pylon (LDP) attached directly under the outside portion of the wing, just inside of the wing fold. The pylon can contain either a BRU-32B/A ejector rack, or it can contain an ADU-773A/A internal adapter to then enable the attachment of a variant of the LAU-127 common rail launcher.

SUU-80 / ADU-773 / LAU-127 configuration
In the SUU-80/ADU-773/LAU-127 configuration, the outboard station is capable of carrying a variant of the AIM-9 missile or CATM-9 captive trainer, as well as a AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) (as of 2020 most commonly the AIM-120D) , CATM-120 captive trainer, or JAIM-120 live telemetry trainer. In addition, a Tactical Combat Training System (TCTS) pod, which is shaped like a missile, can be attached to the LAU-127.

Missiles
When the aircraft features the SUU-80/BRU-32B/A configuration, the weapon options become more variable. If the goal is to store and fire the AIM-7 Sparrow missile on hard points 2 and 10, a variant of the LAU-115 guided missile launcher will be attached to the BRU-32B/A, which will then carry the AIM-7. The AIM-7 was planned to be phased out by 2018 in favor of the AIM-120 AMRAAM.

In terms of air-to-ground missiles, BRU-32B/A may carry a variant of the LAU-117 rail launcher, which can in turn store and fire the AGM-65 Maverick. In order to carry and fire the AGM-88 HARM High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, BRU-32B/A would carry a variant of the LAU-118 rail launcher instead. The most current loadout as of 2020 would be the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), with the next-generation AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Extended Range (AARGM-ER) being tested. The Maverick missile is expected to be replaced by the next-generation Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM).

Bombs/Mines
Options abound in terms of bomb stores on the outboard stations. Bomb rack unit BRU-32B/A, also referred to as a bomb ejector rack, directly stores and ejects a number of bombs from these hard points. One possibility is the 500 lb general purpose Mk 82, which will always be retarded by a BSU-86/B fin. Another option is the 1000 lb general purpose Mk 83, which can be retarded by a BSU-85/B fin, and can also be dropped in low-drag mode.

The insensitive munitions-compliant bomb variants that contain the PBXN-109 insensitive explosive can also be stored and dropped from these hard points, as those munitions are exactly like the Mk 82 and Mk 83 in weight and shape as well as retard option. The variants are BLU-111 (equivalent to Mk 82) and BLU-110 (equivalent to MK 83). Other variants are BLU-126/B LCDB (Low Collateral Damage Bomb), and BLU-129/B VLCDW (Very Low Collateral Damage Weapon, both the same size and weight as the 500 lb Mk 82.

A third variation of the Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs able to be carried on these weapons stations are the laser-guided bombs GBU-12 and GBU-16, both also known as the Paveway II. The GBU-12 is the 500 lb relative to the Mk 82, while the GBU-16 is the 1000 lb MK 83 relative. Note that these weapons do not feature the BSU-86/BSU-85 fins. More recent variants of these weapons are the Paveway III variants GBU-22/B and GBU-23/B. As a next step, developed as part of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) program, are the GBU-38/B and GBU-32/B - again equivalent to Mk 82 and Mk 83 - with Global Positioning System-aided Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance capabilities instead of laser guidance. Finally, combining both laser guidance and GPS are the GBU-49/B and GBU-48/B variants, also called Enhanced Paveway II, and next-generation LJDAM weapons such as GBU-54/B and GBU-55/B. GBU-51/B is the equivalent guided bomb to the BLU-126/B LCDB.

The MK 62 and Mk 63 Quick Strike naval mines are yet another variation on the same theme, with the Mk 62 mine equivalent to the Mk 82 500 lb bomb, and the Mk 63 mine equivalent to the Mk 83 1000 lb bomb. The Mk 62 will either be retarded by the BSU-86 fin, or by a Mk-16 paratail. The Mk 63 will either be retarded by the MAU-91 fin or the Mk-12 paratail. As of 2020, the latest variant in common use are the Mk 62 and 63 Mod 3. Hard points 2 and 11 are also capable of carrying the variants of the CBU-99/CBU-100 Rockeye II cluster bombs, which are contained in bomblet dispensers variants of SUU-75 and SUU-76, respectively. The only difference between these two weapons is that CBU-99/SUU-75 is thermally protected (TP), while CBU-100/SUU-76 is non-thermally-protected (NTP). All of the versions of the bombs enumerated above are available to be attached in both TP and NTP variants. The same dispenser may also be loaded and used to fire the CBU-78/B Gator mine cluster weapons.

Finally, there is one bomb training option available for these weapon stations in this configuration. The BDU-45 with side-mounted spotting charges is an inert practice bomb and is the equivalent of the 500 lb Mk 82, and is frequently retarded by a BSU-86/B fin.

SUU-80 / BRU-32B/A / BRU-42A configuration
For Paveway II training, the aircraft can be configured with a BRU-42A Improved Triple Ejector Rack (ITER) attached to the BRU-32B/A ejector rack. This will permit the storing and firing of three Laser Guided Training Rounds (LGTR) on one hard point. There are three versions of these LGTR training bombs, namely variants of the BDU-57, BDU-59, and BDU-60. These bomb bodies with guidance kits only weigh in at 89 lb.

Hard Points 3 and 9 - Midboard stations
Hard points 3 and 9 are the midboard stations. These stations will feature a SUU-79A/A wing pylon attached directly under the wing, inside of the outboard pylon and wing fold, but still somewhat outside of the middle of the wing. The pylon will contain a BRU-32B/A ejector rack.

Missiles
To store and fire the AIM-7 Sparrow missile on hard points 3 and 19, a variant of the LAU-115 guided missile launcher will be attached to the BRU-32B/A, which will then carry the AIM-7. The midboard station can also accommodate two AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) in a dual configuration that has two LAU-127 type launchers attached to a variant of LAU-115, which in turn is attached to the BRU-32B/A in the SUU-79 pylon. In addition to the two air-to-ground missile options discussed above (AGM-65 and AGM-88), which are also applicable for hard points 3 and 9, there are several additional options available at the midpoint stations. Variants of the AGM-84 Harpoon missile can be carried and fired from these weapon stations, which include the AGM-84 Block II (with Block II+ as next-generation) anti-ship missile, and the AGM-84K SLAM-ER (Stand-off Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response). Further recent additions to the arsenal are the AGM-154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-to-ground glide weapon and the AGM-158C LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile), which comes from the AGM-158B JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile).

These stations can also carry the AN/AWW-13 Advanced Data Link pod, which allows remote control of the SLAM-ER missile and of the AGM-154 JSOW missile. Lastly, the AN/ALE-50 AAED Advanced Airborne Expendable Decoy system is another option on these stations.

Bombs/Mines
All of the options listed above in terms of bombs are also options for hard points 3 and 9 in this configuration, and one additional set of even larger bombs sizes are possible on these weapon stations. The Mk 84 LDGP (Low Drag General Purpose) bomb is the 2000 lb variant of the Mk 82/Mk 83 series. In the same vein as above, the insensitive munitions variants of the Mk 84 are BLU-117/B, which in turn can become the GBU-10/B Paveway II guided bomb , and then the GBU-31(V)2/B JDAM bomb.

Another option, again using Mk 84 as the basis, is BLU-109A/B, which is a 2000 lb class hard target penetrator warhead. This bomb can also be used in the GBU-10/B Paveway II, the GBU-24(V)/B Paveway III , and the GBU-31(V)2/B JDAM bomb. Similarly, the 2000 lb class BLU-116/B AUP (Advanced Unitary Penetrator) warhead is a choice, or its variants of GBU-24/B Paveway III and GBU-34B JDAM. To the listing above of the Mk 62/Mk 63 Quick Strike naval mines can be added the Mk 65 mine, which is the equivalent to the Mk 84 2000 lb class bomb.

Fuel tanks
The midboard stations may also each carry a 480 USgal external fuel tank, which attaches directly to the BRU-32B/A ejector rack, and which may be ejected once emptied. . In addition, the A/A42R-1 aerial refueling store, also called a "buddy store", which also goes by the designation 31-300 and 31/301, may be loaded here.

SUU-79 / BRU-32B/A / BRU-33A or BRU-55A CVER configuration
The BRU-32B/A is a bomb ejector unit which can carry a single store attached to the bottom of the rack. When BRU-32B/A carries a BRU-33A canted vertical ejector rack (CVER), it doubles the carrying capacity of the pylon. BRU-33A features 2 attachment points on either side of the unit, each of which can carry a store up to 1000 lb per side. , which are canted 5 degrees outboard. Specifically, this means that BRU-33A can store all of the numerous variants based on Mk 82 and Mk 83, plus CBU-99/CBU-100 Rockeye II and BDU-45, as discussed above.

This configuration will also be able to carry next-generation GBU-53/B StormBreakers, also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), which is an air-launched, precision-guided glide bomb. This weapon will be able to be loaded using a BRU-55/A, which can hold 2 SDB IIs at a time. One new set of weapon class that are able to be mounted on the BRU-33A are rocket launcher pods, which come in variants of the 2.75 in LAU-68, or the 5 in (127 mm) LAU-10. These launchers can fire either 7 or 4 rounds of High Explosive (HE) fragmentation rockets, respectively. The next-generation weapon of this class is the AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), which is based on the 2.75 in rocket system.

SUU-79 / BRU-32B/A / BRU-41/A or BRU-42/A configuration
The aircraft can be configured with either a BRU-41/A Improved Multiple Ejector Rack (IMER), or a BRU-42/A Improved Triple Ejector Rack (ITER) attached to the BRU-32B/A ejector rack. As the name implies, the TER is capable of carrying and firing 3 stores, while the MER doubles that capacity to six stores.

As described above, the same three versions of the LGTR training bombs, the variants of the BDU-57, BDU-59, and BDU-60, can be used on these hard points, loaded using the TER BRU-41/A rack. The other store limited to being loaded on BRU-41/A at these stations is the ADM-141 TALD Tactical Air Launched Decoy.

If BRU-42/A MER is attached to BRU-32/A, this station can carry six of the 10 lb high drag BDU-48 practice bomb, the 25 lb low drag Mk 76 practice bomb, and the Mk 58 MLM (Marine Location Marker). Finally, a combination of SUU-25 or SUU-42 loaded with variants of the LUU-2 flares is another option in this location.

Hard Points 4 and 8 - Inboard stations
Hard points 4 and 8 are the inboard stations. These stations, just like the midboard stations, will feature a SUU-79A/A wing pylon attached directly under the wing, on the inside of the wing and outside of the fuselage. The pylon will contain a BRU-32B/A ejector rack. There are few differences between the options on these stations compared to hard points 3 and 9. The only missile that is not carried on stations 4 and 8 compared to 3 and 9 is the AIM-7 Sparrow. In terms of bombs, mines, and fuel tanks, there is no difference - all 4 stations can carry identical load-outs. If the CVER configuration is used, only rockets are not an available option inboard. If BRU-41/A ITER or BRU-42/A IMER are configured, these hard points may be loaded with TALD, Mk 76, or BDU-49, a subset of the selections available midboard. .

Hard Points 5 and 7 - Fuselage stations
Hard Points 5 and 7 are the fuselage stations, located at the lower side of the aircraft fuselage just above the wheel house. These stations can only carry one weapon, namely the AIM-120 AMRAAM, which is attached the LAU-116/A rail launchers. Otherwise, the fuselage stations are for various versions of FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) for passive thermal imagery. Stores included in this class are AN/AAR-55 navigational FLIR, AN/AAS-46 targeting FLIR, and the more recent AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR).

Hard Point 6 - Centerline stations
Hard point 6 is the Centerline station, which, as the name indicates, is directly underneath the center of the aircraft fuselage. This station will only be used for a 480 USgal external fuel tank, attached directly to the BRU-32B/A ejector rack,, or for light-to-medium-weight air-to-ground weapons .This includes all of the many variants of the 500 lb MK 82 and 1000 lb Mk 83 bombs, the CBU-99 and CBU-100 cluster bombs, as well as the AAN/AWW-13 Advanced Data Link pod.

The one new addition to the arsenal that is carried exclusively on this hard point is the AN/ASD-12 SHAred Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP). This sensors pod will collect infrared, visible, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) digital imagery at medium altitudes, with high-altitude EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infra-Red) capabilities planned.