Summary F/A-18 Hornets excel in air defense, air interdiction, and combat missions worldwide. F/A-18s showcased power, versatility, and reliability in historical operations like the Gulf War. The US Navy and Marine Corps are preparing to phase out F/A-18 Hornets by 2025 for cost-saving purposes.
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft have long been the backbone of the US Navy fleet. The all-weather multirole F/A-18 Hornet was designed as a fighter and attack aircraft for the Navy. Since the mid-1980s, the highly versatile aircraft has been involved in various US military missions.
Capable of performing air defense, suppressing enemy targets, air interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, and providing close air support, the Hornet fleet stands out from its competition in the aerial battlefield. Length : 56 feet (16.8 meters) Height : 15 feet 4 inches (4.
6 meters) Wingspan : 40 feet 5 inches (13.5 meters) Weight : Maximum Take Off Gross Weight is 51,900 pounds (23,537 kg) Propulsion : Two F404-GE-402 enhanced performance turbofan engines. 17,700 pounds of static thrust per engine Airspeed : Mach 1.
7+ Ceiling : 50,000+ feet Range : Combat: 1,089 nautical miles (1252.4 miles/2,003 km), clean, plus two AIM-9s Ferry : 1,546 nautical miles (1777.9 miles/2,844 km), two AIM-9s, plus three 330-gallon tanks.
Libyan air defenses Operations Prairie Fire and El Dorado Canyon were some of the first times F/A-18 Hornets saw action in April 1986. Four Hornets from the USS Co.