F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet,US Navy, Spain Air Force, Canada,Australia, Swiss, Kuwait

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F/A-18 Hornet

The F/A-18 is an impressive 2-engine multi-role supersonic fighter jet and a attack aircraft for usage from aircraft carriers and conventional air bases. The primary tasks of the hornet are air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defence, reconnaissance, forward air control (FAC) and day and night attack missions. The USA F/A-18 can be equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, Harpoon, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-84 SLAM, SLAM-ER, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct Attack Ammunitions (JDAM), several general purpose bombs, mines and rockets. The newest version (Super Hornet) has a improved AIM-9 missile and can also use laser guided paveway bombs.

The F/A-18 was developed to support the F-14 Tomcat aircraft onboard of United States Navy aircraft carriers. The hornet pilot can do air-to-air combats and air-to-surface combats by simply pushing a button in the cockpit.

Origin
The Hornet is further development of the YF-17 which was a prototype from the project of the development of the F-16. Years ago, Iran has offered to share the development costs of the F-18. This came never true.

Versions
There exist the following F/A-18 versions:
a) F/A-18A and C single seater
b) F/A-18B and D doubleseaters. B models are mainly used for training, D model for operational purposes.
c) F/A-18E and F (also called Super Hornet)
d) F/A-18G Growler a still in development project of a aircraft only for electronic warfare.

There have been manufactured more than 400 F/A-18 A and B Hornets. The F/A-18C and D are having instead of the A and B model better opportunities by night attack, precision bombing, lower recognition by radar. About 2010 the US Navy will probably replace EA-6B Prowler by the F/A-18G "Growler" a modified F/A-18E/F. The Growler is for the Electronic warfare.

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Super Hornet was developed as a result of the success of the hornet. It will replace the F-14D Tomcat and the older C/D Hornets.

The aircraft has a 25% larger wing surface then the normal hornet, 42% less components, a larger range, more payload, powerful engine with a larger intern fuel capacity.

The first delivery of the Super hornet for the United States Navy started in 2002 an the first operational mission of the super hornet where flown from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz by the VFA-14 and VFA-41 squadron. The Hornet has supported missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The US Navy has 484 Super Hornets on order.

Film: F/A-18E takeoff from aircraft carrier, first testing his primary flight control (spoilers, horizontal stabilo and rudder), halfway the movie a EA-6B taxies in front

United States Marines Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has about 168 Hornets in the F/A-18A, F/A-18C and F/A-18CN Hornet version. These are primary used to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft under all-weather conditions and attack and destroy surface targets.

Production planning

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Total
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet	23	18	17	22	-	80
E/A-17G Growler	22	22	10	-	-	54

F/A-18 in other countries
The F/A-18 is also in service with the air forces of: Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain, Swiss and Finland.

Australia
The Australian Air Force has 71 F/A-18A/B hornet fighter jets. Australia has used them during the opening of Operation Enduring Freedom (war against Iraq in 2003).

Canada
The Canadian Air Force was the first foreign user of the F/A-18 Hornet and has the largest fleet of Hornets after the USA. These hornets are designated with CF/A-18 Hornet.

Kuwait
The Air Force of Kuwait has 40 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets.

Malaysia
The Air Force of Kuwait has 8 F/A-18D Hornet fighter jets.

Spain
In the beginning, the Spanish Air Force has purchased 72 F/A-18 Hornets of which 60 A versions and 12 B versions. At the moment, it has 81 F/A-18A/B Hornets and 24 F/A-18C Hornet fighter jets.

Spain has some F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets stationed on the airport (or airbase, but there is a air force base on the back of the civil airport of Las Palmas on the Island Gran Canaria). The fighter jets will probably be used for surveillance of the canarian islands.

Swiss
The air force of Swiss has the ability of 26 F/A-18C and 7 F/A-18D Hornet fighter jets since the end of the1990s. At the moment they are operational with the squadrons: Fliegerstaffel 11 (on Meiringen), Escadrille 17 (on Payerne) and Escadrille 18 (on Sion).