The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and Boeing Northrop is an American all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft developed from the Northrop YF-17. The FA-18 Hornet was the first aircraft to have carbon fiber wings and the first tactical jet fighter to use digital fly-by-wire flight controls. The F/A-18 Hornet is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense in attack mode; it is used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support. The F/A-18 Hornet proved its capabilities and versatility during Operation Desert Storm breaking all the records for a Jet fighter. The maiden flight of the FA-18 Hornet took place on the 18th of November 1978 and it went into service on November 1983 to the United States Navy and on the 7th of January 1984 to the United States Marine Corps.

Primary users are United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Royal Australian Air Force and the Spanish Air Force. There were approx. 1480 F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet produced. The FA-18 Hornet is still active in service.

Cost per unit is approx. 29 million USD. Description: Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornet relieving the supers in the fight against IS Defense Information: As part of Operation OKRA, the Australian Air Task Group has deployed six F/A-18A Hornet combat aircraft. The Australian ATG F/A-18A Hornets, as part of the Coalition, continue to conduct close air support and strike operations against the Daesh over Iraq. Calculate your fun holiday trip time and distance at.

By, The F/A-18 “Hornet” is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and also replaced the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the 1990s. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 060911-N-8604L-425USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), At Sea (Sept. 11, 2006) - F/A-18 Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 perform a high-power flyby of USS Kitty Hawk. The F/A-18 provides the carrier strike group with a strike fighter that has increased range, endurance and ordnance carrying capabilities. Currently under way in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Kitty Hawk demonstrates power projection and sea control as the U.S.

Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, operating from Yokosuka, Japan.Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua Wayne LeGrand. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 060911-N-8604L-741USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), At Sea (Sept.

11, 2006) - A Carrier Air Wing Five Super Hornet breaks the sound barrier during an air power demonstration practice on board USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). The F/A-18 provides the carrier strike group with a strike fighter that has increased range, endurance and ordnance carrying capabilities. Currently under way in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), Kitty Hawk demonstrates power projection and sea control as the U.S. Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, operating from Yokosuka, Japan.Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua Wayne LeGrand. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 061013-N-9500T-008 San Diego, Ca. 13, 2006) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the 'Screaming Eagles' of Strike Fighter Squadron One Two Two (VFA-122), flown by LT Matt Turner, pushes the limits of the sound barrier during a performance at the Miramar Air Show onboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Ca.

This year's air show was themed 'The Sound of Freedom: Celebrating the Blue Angels' 60th Anniversary', and showcased military and civilian aircraft, static displays, food and souvenir booths. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Scott Taylor. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 061015-N-9500T-008 San Diego, Ca. 15, 2006) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the 'Screaming Eagles' of Strike Fighter Squadron One Two Two (VFA-122), flown by LT Matt Turner, pushes the limits of the sound barrier during a performance at the Miramar Air Show onboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Ca. This year's air show was themed 'The Sound of Freedom: Celebrating the Blue Angels' 60th Anniversary', and showcased military and civilian aircraft, static displays, food and souvenir booths. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Scott Taylor. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 061024-N-9742R-028 Gulf of Oman (October 24, 2006)- An F/A-18C Hornet, attached to the 'Sidewinders' of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Six (VFA-86) executes a high-speed pass by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) during an practice for an upcoming air demonstration.

Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are currently on a scheduled six-month deployment in support of the Maritime Security Operations and the global war on terrorism. Navy photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Milosz Reterski. Image released by LCDR Dave Nunnally, PAO CVN-65.

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 070403-N-7130B-138SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 3, 2007) - An F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25, breaks the sound barrier while performing a supersonic flyby of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during an air power demonstration. The air power demonstration was performed by Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 and featured participation from each of the eight squadrons assigned to CVW-14. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED). McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 080422-N-5384B-116 INDIAN OCEAN (April 22, 2008) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the 'Bounty Hunters' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2 performs a fly-by over the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) during an air show for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and her crew.

Lincoln and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9 are on a scheduled seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Justin R. Blake (Released).

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet US Marine Corps (USMC) Captain (CAPT) Kevin Reece, Marine Aviator for Vertical Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 (VMFA-212), pilots his F/A18 Hornet over the South China Sea on the return trip from Paya Lebar, Singapore to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, in support of Commando Sling. The F/A-18 has a digital control-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease. At the same time, this system provides exceptional maneuverability and allows the pilot to concentrate on operating the weapons system. A solid thrust-to-weight ratio and superior turn characteristics combined with energy sustainability, enable the F/A-18 to hold its own against any adversary. The power to maintain evasive action is what many pilots consider the Hornet’s finest trait. In addition, the F/A-18 was also the Navy’s first tactical jet aircraft to incorporate a digital, MUX bus architecture for the entire system’s avionics suite. The benefit of this design feature is that the F/A-18 has been relatively easy to upgrade on a regular, affordable basis.

Making the first flight in November 1978, the F/A-18 and its two-place derivative subsequently redesignated the F/A-18B underwent most of their development testing at the Naval Air Test Center under the new single-site testing concept. While much attention was focused on development problems, these were largely typical of those in any new program, with their resolution being part of the development process.

For the most part, these occurred in the basic aircraft hardware rather than in the digital electronic systems. The original F/A-18A (single seat) and F/A-18B (dual seat) became operational in 1983 replacing Navy and Marine Corps F-4s and A-7s. It quickly became the battle group commander’s mainstay because of its capability, versatility and availability.

Reliability and ease of maintenance were emphasized in its design, and F/A-18s have consistently flown three times more hours without failure than other Navy tactical aircraft, while requiring half the maintenance time. The Hornet has been battle tested and has proved itself to be exactly what its designers intended: a highly reliable and versatile strike fighter. The F/A-18 played an important role in the 1986 strikes against Libya. Flying from USS CORAL SEA (CV 43), F/A-18s launched high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMs) against Libyan air defense radars and missile sites, effectively silencing them during the attacks on Benghazi facilities. Following a successful run of more than 400 A and B models, the US Navy began taking fleet deliveries of improved F/A-18C (single seat) and F/A-18D (dual seat) models in September 1987.

These Hornets carry the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and the infrared imaging Maverick air-to-ground missile. Two years later, the C/D models came with improved night attack capabilities. The new components included a navigation forward looking infrared (NAVFLIR) pod, a raster head-up display, night vision goggles, special cockpit lighting compatible with the night vision devices, a digital color moving map and an independent multipurpose color display.

F/A-18Cs have synthetic aperture ground mapping radar with a Doppler beam sharpening mode to generate ground maps. This ground mapping capability that permits crews to locate and attack targets in adverse weather and poor visibility or to precisely update the aircraft’s location relative to targets during the approach, a capability that improves bombing accuracy. New production F/A-18Cs received the APG-73 radar upgrade radars starting in 1994, providing more precise and clear radar displays. The F/A-18C Nigh Attack Hornet has a pod-mounted Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal imaging navigation set, a Loral AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk FLIR targeting pod, and GEC Cat’s Eyes pilot’s night vision goggles.

Some 48 F/A-18D two-seat Hornets are configured as the F/A-18D (RC) reconnaissance version, with the M61A1 cannon replaced by a pallet-mounted electro-optical suite comprising a blister-mounted IR linescan and two roll-stabilized sensor units, with all of these units recording onto video tape. On the first day of Operation Desert Storm, two F/A-18s, each carrying four 2,000 lb. Bombs, shot down two Iraqi MiGs and then proceeded to deliver their bombs on target.

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Throughout the Gulf War, squadrons of U.S. Navy, Marine and Canadian F/A-18s operated around the clock, setting records daily in reliability, survivability and ton-miles of ordnance delivered. The multi-mission F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” strike fighter is an upgrade of the combat-proven night strike F/A-18C/D. The Super Hornet will provide the battle group commander with a platform that has range, endurance, and ordnance carriage capabilities comparable to the A-6 which have been retired. The F/A-18E/F aircraft are 4.2 feet longer than earlier Hornets, have a 25% larger wing area, and carry 33% more internal fuel which will effectively increase mission range by 41% and endurance by 50%. The Super Hornet also incorporates two additional weapon stations.

This allows for increased payload flexibility by mixing and matching air-to-air and/or air-to-ground ordnance. The aircraft can also carry the complete complement of “smart” weapons, including the newest joint weapons such as JDAM and JSOW.

The Super Hornet can carry approximately 17,750 pounds (8,032 kg) of external load on eleven stations. It has an all-weather air-to-air radar and a control system for accurate delivery of conventional or guided weapons. There are two wing tip stations, four inboard wing stations for fuel tanks or air-to-ground weapons, two nacelle fuselage stations for Sparrows or sensor pods, and one centerline station for fuel or air-to-ground weapons. An internal 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon is mounted in the nose. Carrier recovery payload is increased to 9,000 pounds, and its engine thrust from 36,000 pounds to 44,000 pounds utilizing two General Electric F414 turbo-fan engines. Although the more recent F/A-18C/D aircraft have incorporated a modicum of low observables technology, the F/A-18E/F was designed from the outset to optimize this and other survivability enhancements. The Hughes Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infra-Red (ATFLIR), the baseline infrared system for the F/A-18 E/F, will also be deployed on earlier model F/A-18s.

The Hughes pod features both navigation and infrared targeting systems, incorporating third generation mid-wave infrared (MWIR) staring focal plane technology. The aircraft made its debut at Patuxent River (Md.) Naval Air Station in September 1995. The F/A18-E/F has achieved many milestones since its debut. The most significant was initial sea trials aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier.

These first Super Hornet carrier qualifications occurred in January 1997 off the coast of Florida, and consisted of a series of tests including catapult launches, arrested landings and various other system evaluations conducted by flight deck crews. The Super Hornet is fully capable to conduct both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions. This includes air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter-escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control and refueling. The Super Hornet has greater range/endurance, can carry a heavier payload, has enhanced survivability, and a built-in potential to incorporate future systems and technologies.

Specifications Wing span: 37 feet 5 inches Length: 56 feet Height: 15 feet 3 1/2 inches Weight: Fighter mission takeoff: 36,710 pounds Attack mission takeoff: 49,224 pounds Speed: more than 1,360 mph Ceiling: approximately 50,000 feet Range: Fighter mission: 400 nautical-mile radius Attack mission: 575 nautical-mile radius Ferry range: more than 2,000 nautical miles Power plant: two GE F404-GE-400 low-bypass turbofan engines Crew: F/A-18A/C models: one; F/A-18B/D: two Contractor: prime, McDonnell Douglas; airframe, Northrop.