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The Evolution of the F/A-18 Hornet: From Desert Storm to the Super Hornet

The first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft in the nation, the F/A-18 Hornet, models A-D, was designed and very effective for traditional strike missions such as interdiction and close air support. As the first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft in the country, the F/A-18 Hornet has been a mainstay in Marine Corps fighter-attack squadrons, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, and in the Navy Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels. Its versatility was proved when during Operation Desert Storm, in one mission it successfully engaged enemy fighters and bombed targets to show just how lethal it could be.

The robustness of the Hornet was underscored when aircraft, though taking direct hits from surface-to-air missiles, managed to recover and conduct rapid repairs to return to action the next day. This has secured the Hornet as the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation and ensures support for global operational deployments. It shall remain the principal bridging platform for the Marine Corps up until 2030, with its planned retirement to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet joined the fleet in 1999 and was a game changer in replacing the F-14 Tomcat. The second major upgrade since the program’s inception, the Super Hornet remains highly capable over the full mission spectrum. The Super Hornet operations include but are not limited to, all-weather operations in the roles of air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression, and day/night precision strike. These include the single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F designed to replace the aging F/A-18C and D models, meeting current Navy mission requirements and expanding roles like Forward Air Controller (Airborne) and Aerial Tanking.

Enhancements in the F/A-18E/F include increased range and improved carrier suitability, ensuring the aircraft’s key strike fighter role against advanced 21st-century threats. Over the last 20 years, the Block II Super Hornet, which became operational in 2001, has been evolving into an arsenal of capability-improving technologies, solidifying itself as the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wing. The last Block II aircraft was delivered in April 2020, and the latest Block III upgrade is currently undergoing testing and evaluation. This upgrade extends the service life and range of the platform, brings in the advanced cockpit system, reduces radar cross-sections, and is fitted with 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. Production will follow successful testing. There is a contract to deliver 78 new construction F/A-18 Block III jets to the Navy through 2024. The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron, which has flown the F/A-18 Hornet since 1984, began the transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2020. The Hornet and Super Hornet provide the air strike capability for seven foreign customers: Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain, and Switzerland, while many additional international partners have expressed interest in these proven and versatile platforms.

First flown in 1978, the F/A-18 Hornet had operational service introduced to the Marine Corps in 1983 and in the U.S. It replaced the F-4 Phantom and the A-7 Corsair, and the Navy in 1984. F/A-18A and C are single-seaters; the B and D models have two seats. The B model is primarily used for training, while the mission models are the F/A-18A+ and C/D versions. Production for the C and D models ended in 2000, with the last F/A-18D delivered to the Marine Corps that summer. In April 2018, the Navy announced the retirement of the F/A-18C from combat roles.

Compared to their predecessors, the 1995 F/A-18E and F Super Hornet are larger, more powerful, and can travel 50% more extended distances than other aircraft with significantly fewer components, simplifying their maintenance requirements. The first deployment on a cruise line of Super Hornets was with VFA-115 on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in July 2002 and then first employment in an actual combat operation in November of that same year. The Super Hornet airframe is tough and allows for easy integration of new weapons and technology systems with an open mission systems architecture. Incremental, block system upgrades have kept the Super Hornet adaptable and capable in today’s dynamic combat environment.

The latest Block III configuration has 10,000 flight hours of service life, reduced radar signature, new avionics, and an enhanced cockpit with large touchscreen displays. The U.S. Navy will perform extensive tests of the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet before sending the jet into production and operational service.

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