Summary Australia retired its F/A-18 Hornets as it transitioned to F-35As, with all 75 jets gone by 2023. Old jets intended for Ukraine were not sent, some sold to Canada, some kept for displays, and rest unclear. Remaining F/A-18 Hornets possibly stored or scrapped, sitting on Guam's US Anderson Air Force Base.
As the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transitioned to its (eventual fleet) of 72 F-35As, it has retired its aging F/A-18 Hornets (although it still has 24 Super Hornets and 12 EA Growlers). Australia started retiring the Hornets in 2017, and the first Australian F-35A was accepted into service in 2018. In 2023, Ukraine asked for the old Aussie jets, but now that debate has ended with Ukraine instead getting F-16s and Mirage 2000-5s (and possibly Saab Gripens down the road) .
But what happened to the old Australian Hornets? Australia's fleet of F/A-18s F/A-18s were the backbone of the Australian combat wing for many years. However, while the Super Hornets will continue to serve for some time, that role is now being passed to fifth-generation F-35As. Australia purchased a total of 75 F/A-18A/Bs over the years, and now they are all gone from the RAAF and an ending inventory of 71 Hornets.
"Beginning in 1981, Australia ordered a total of 57 single-seat F/A-18As and 18 two-seater F/A-18Bs from American aviation company McDonnell Douglas, which later merged with Boeing. Four of these jets were subsequently lost in crashes over the years." - The War Zone So what happened to them? As late as June 2023, the ABC was reporting that retired Australian F/A-18 Hornets were "a step closer to joining Ukraine's war effort.
" But this never happened. Short answer: Yes! The RAAF has three; the F-35, the E/A-18G, and the F/A-18F. Some were sold to Canada In 2018, SDQuebec reported that Canada was to purchase some 25 retired Australian F/A-18 jets (pursuant to American approval).
Canada also operates a fleet of Hornets and these were planned to augment Canada's CF-18s. Originally, Canada planned to purchase 18 jets, and it was assumed that the extra jets would be stripped down for parts (they are near contemporaries of Canada's fleet). In 2021, the Australian Business Defense Review reported " 12 F/A-18A and six two-seat F/A-18B Hornets are being refurbished and integrated into the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of CF-18 Hornets .
" The publication noted that Canada had received the last of the purchased Aussie jets. Some are in museums in Australia The ABC reported in May 2024 that the Queensland Air Museum was unhappy that it hadn't received any retired Australian Hornets for its display. The article states that while there were no F/A-18s for Queensland, there were eight for displays elsewhere in Australia.
The ABC says, ". ..
there were just eight Hornets for heritage display purposes, and five would go to Canberra, while the other three were on loan to museums across the country ." Ravn Aerospace tried to buy them Ravn Aerospace (previously AirUSA) is an American defense contractor based in Houston, Texas. Ravn Aerospace operates old advanced trainers and fighter jets for adversary air, close air support, ISR training, and more for the US Air Force, Navy, and Marines.
Among Ravn's collection are as many as four old MiG-29 Fulcrums . Ravn is one of several private air forces in the US contracting with the US DoD . In March 2020, the Australian Minister for Defence Industry announced that up to 46 ex-RAAF Hornets (as well as spare parts) were to be sold to Ravn (then AirUSA).
However, by December 2021, the status of the deal was unknown, and the contract lapsed in December 2023 with no transfers. Ravn's website lists its aircraft types as BAE Hawk Mk.67, L-39ZA Albatros, and MiG29UBs.
It does not list any F/A-18s. An aircraft for every purpose: combat, mobility, VIP transport, and more The rest possibly stored or scrapped What happened to the rest of the jets? 75 jets were purchased, 4 crashed, 25 were sold to Canada, and 8 were donated for display in museums, leaving 38 Hornets. In May 2023, the Daily Mail reported that the Australian Defence Force had been accused of " wasting billions of dollars after dumping retired fighter jets in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
" It's an odd accusation as the old jets had come to the end of their useful lives. Australia's fleet of F/A-18 Hornets Number purchased: 75 Number lost to crashes: 4 Number on display: 8 Number sold to Canada: 25 Number stored/unclear: 38 The article says the jets are "currently" (May 2023) collecting dust on Guam's US Anderson Air Force Base. It also quotes Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Malcolm Davis as saying he had "no idea" why they were so "unceremoniously dumped.
" These jets are noted for being in poor condition and represent early 1980s technology. The Australian Department of Defence was opaque about the jets' fate. The Daily Mail quoted it as saying, " The RAAF fleet of 71 F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet aircraft, associated spares and support equipment has been progressively withdrawn from service from January 2019 to December 2021.
Due to commercial-in-confidence considerations, no additional information can be provided on the commercial arrangements for the aircraft ." It is unclear if the F/A-18s remain in storage in Guam today. It is also unclear what their ultimate fate will be - will they still find another life, be taken to a boneyard, or be scraped and broken up for parts? Time will tell.
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