Aircraft/Navy

Sea Power, Jan 2002

CEILING: ..................approx. 50,000 feet

RANGE: ......................(internal fuel only) fighter mission, 462 nautical-mile radius; (with two external fuel tanks) attack mission, 489 nautical-mile radius

POWER PLANT: ........two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines, each with 20,727 pounds static uninstalled thrust

ARMAMENT: ............one 20mm Mk6l Vulcan cannon; 17,000 pounds of external stores: AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM84H SLAM-ER, and AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missiles; AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM); and various other types of bombs and rockets

CREW: .......................FIA-1 BE, one pilot; F/A-18F, one pilot and one weapons systems officer

CONTRACTOR: .........Boeing

F/A-18 HORNET

BRIEFING: The F/A-18 Hornet is a multimission strike fighter that combines the capabilities of a fighter and interceptor with those of an attack aircraft. The single-seat F/A-18A and two-seat FIA-18B became operational in 1983. Eventually, the Hornet replaced the Navy's A-6, A-7, and F-4 and the Marine Corps' F-4. Reliability and ease of maintenance were emphasized in the Hornet's design, and FIA-18s have consistently flown three times as many hours without failure as other Navy tactical aircraft, while requiring half the maintenance time.

The F/A-18 is equipped with a digital control-by-wire flight-control system that provides excellent handling qualities and allows pilots to learn to fly the Hornet with relative ease. This system provides exceptional maneuverability and allows the pilot to concentrate on operating the aircraft's weapons system. A solid thrust-to-weight ratio and superior turn characteristics, combined with energy sustainability, enable the Hornet to hold its own against any adversary. The power to maintain evasive action is what many pilots consider to be the Hornet's finest trait. The F/A-18 is the Navy's first tactical jet to incorporate digital-bus architecture for the entire avionics suite, making the aircraft's avionics relatively easy to upgrade on a regular and affordable basis.

Following a production run of more than 400 FIA-18A/Bs, deliveries of the single-seat F/A-11 BC and two-seat FIA-11 8D began in September 1987. These versions are armed with the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) and the infrared-imaging version of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missile. Improved night-attack capabilities were introduced in 1989, including installation of a forward-looking infrared (NAVFLIR) pod, a raster head-up display, night-vision goggles, special cockpit lighting compatible with night-vision devices, a digital color moving map, and an independent multipurpose color display. Enhanced-performance engines and other improvements came later. Some FIA-18As are being upgraded to F/A-18C standard under Engineering Change Proposal 583 as F/A-18A versions.

The Hornet has been battle-tested and has proved to be a highly reliable and versatile strike fighter. The F/A-18 played an important role in the 1986 strikes against Libya, launching HARMs (high-speed antiradiation missiles) against Libyan air-defense radar and missile sites. On the first day of Operation Desert Storm, two F/A-18Cs, each carrying four 2,000-pound bombs, shot down two Iraqi MiG-21 interceptors, then proceeded to deliver their bombs on target. Hornets participated in strikes against Iraq in December 1998 during Operation Desert Fox and are continuing similar missions today as participants in Operation Southern Watch. Navy and Marine Corps Hornets also were in the forefront of strikes in Kosovo and Serbia during Operation Allied Force, and in Afghanistan in 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom.