Description
F/A-18 Hornet (A-D)
F/A-18 Hornet became the nation’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft, and was designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities. The F/A-18 A-D is employed in Marine Corps fighter attack squadrons, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, the Navy Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angles), and various other fleet support roles.
The Hornet demonstrated its capabilities and versatility early in its lifecycle during Operation Desert Storm, wherein the aircraft shot down enemy fighters and bombed enemy targets within the same mission, proving its lethal effectiveness as a strike fighter. Hornets taking direct hits from surface-to-air missiles, recovering successfully, being repaired quickly, and flying again the next day further cemented the robustness and survivability of the aircraft.
The F/A-18 Hornet remains the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation, and supports operational deployments around the globe. It will serve as the Marine Corps’ primary bridging platform to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter until its planned sundown in 2030.
F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999, as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike. The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F are high performance, twin-engine, mid-wing, and multi-mission tactical aircraft designed to replace the F/A-18C (single-seat) and F/A-18D (two-seat) aircraft as they reach the end of their service lives and retire.
The F/A-18E and F/A-18Fare designed to meet current Navy fighter escort and interdiction mission requirements, to maintain F/A-18 fleet air defense and close air support roles, as well as an increasing range of missions, including Forward Air Controller (Airborne) and Aerial Tanking, as they haveproven capability to replace the S-3 as an aerial tanker. F/A-18E/F enhancements include increased range and improved carrier suitability required for the F/A-18 to continue its key strike fighter role against the advanced threats of the 21st century.
F/A-18 E/F Block II Super Hornet, in service since 2001, incorporated a number of capabilities-enhancing technologies over the course of the last 20 years, the Block II iteration has earned a reputation as the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wing and a workhorse within the fleet. The final F/A-18E/F Block II production aircraft was delivered to the Service in April 2020.
The latest Block III upgrade, currently undergoing test and evaluation, extends the platform’s service life and range, and incorporates an advanced co*ckpit system, reduced radar cross section and an advanced networking infrastructure. The Boeing Company delivered two F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet test jets to the U.S. Navy in June 2020, with production to follow successful testing and a contract in place to provide 78 new-build F/A-18 Block III jets to the Service through 2024.
The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron has proudly flown the F/A-18 Hornet since 1984, but began transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2020.
The Hornet and Super Hornet comprise the aviation strike force for seven foreign customers including Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland, with many more international partners expressing interest in the proven and versatile platforms.
Features
The F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet are all-weather, twin-engine, mid-wing, multi-mission, carrier-suitable tactical aircraft. In its fighter mode, the F/A-18 is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense; in its attack mode, it is used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support.
Background
The F/A-18 Hornet completed its first flight in 1978 and entered operational service with the Marine Corps in 1983 and the U.S. Navy in 1984. The Hornet replaced the F-4 Fantom and the A-7 Corsair.
The F/A-18A and C are single seat aircraft, while the F/A-18B and D are two seaters. The B model is primarily used for training, while the F/A-18A+ and C/D models are used for attack, tactical air control, and forward air control and reconnaissance missions. There have been several block upgrades to the Hornet for enhanced capabilities throughout the platform’s service life.
Production of C and D models ended in 2000, with the last delivery of an F/A-18D to the U.S. Marine Corps occurring in the summer of the same year. In April 2018, the U.S. Navy announced retirement of the F/A-18C from combat roles. F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet domestic aircraft entered its Post Production Support (PPS) phase in FY00. The Navy and Marine Corps continue to analyze Hornet manpower and sustainment requirements as the aircraft ages and approaches sundown.
The F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet were rolled out at McDonnell Douglas (now a part of Boeing) in 1995. The E is a single seat and the F is a two-seater. The dual-seat variant serves as a trainer in addition to bringing added mission capacity on deployment by facilitating shared workload.
While substantially larger than its predecessor, the F/A-18 Hornet, at roughly 7,000 pounds heavier, with a 50% higher range, the Super Hornet delivered with fewer parts and lower maintenance demands.
The first operational cruise of Super Hornet, F/A-18 E, was with VFA-115 onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in July 2002, and initial combat action occurred in November of the same year, when they participated in a strike on hostile targets in the "no-fly" zone in Iraq.
The jet’s robust airframe was built with an open mission systems architecture, enabling ease of integration for new weapons and technology systems. Through incremental block upgrades, the Super Hornet has proven adaptable and capable of keeping pace with adversaries in today’s dynamic combat environment by striving to continually deliver increased lethality and mission flexibility.
Block II production incorporated the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, improved sensors and avionics, increased range, and capability to employ an arsenal of precision weapons.
The latest iteration, Block III, delivers increased service life of 10,000 flight hours and reduced radar signature, accompanied by a new avionics suite that brings the Common Tactical Picture into the co*ckpit; an advanced co*ckpit system, with large touchscreen displays for improved user interface; and more powerful computing through the Distributed Targeting Processor Network and Tactical Targeting Network Technology. The F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet will undergo comprehensive testing by the U.S. Navy prior to production and operational service.
General Characteristics, F/A-18 Super Hornet, E and F models
Ferry: 1,660 nautical miles (3,054 kilometers), two AIM-9s, three 480 gallon tanks retained.
B, D and F models: Two
General Characteristics, F/A-18 Hornet, A-D models
Ferry: 1,546 nautical miles (1777.9 miles/2,844 km), two AIM-9s plus three 330 gallon tanks.
B, D and F models: Two
