The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/C Hornet is a single seat shipboard and shore-based multi-role fighter and attack aircraft. The F/A-18B/D is a two seat operational trainer. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions.

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets are a third bigger than the F-18A/B/C and D Hornet with half as much parts.

In the early 1970's the US Navy would procure a version of the USAF's winning light weight fighter contender as a low-cost supplement to the F-14 and as an A-7 replacement. The US Navy however was implacably hostile to the winning single-engine YF-16, and decided to adopt an aircraft developed from the losing Northrop YF-17 Cobra. McDonnell Douglas was brought in as prime contractor and the F/A-18 was born.

The first flight of the Northrop YF-17A Cobra (72-1569) was on June 9th 1974, first flight of the YF-18A Hornet came on November 18th 1978 (160775) with McDonnell Douglas test pilot Jack Krings. The maiden flight of the F/A-18C (163427) took place on September 3rd 1986. First flight of the F/A-18E Super Hornet (165164) was November 29th 1995, the two seats F/A-18F followed on April 1st 1996.

The F/A-18 has a digital control-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease. At the same time, this system provides exceptional maneuverability and allows the pilot to concentrate on operating the weapons system. The F/A-18C/D Hornets carry the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and the infrared imaging Maverick air-to-ground missile. Two years later, the C/D models came with improved night attack capabilities. The new components included a navigation forward looking infrared (NAVFLIR) pod, a raster head-up display, night vision goggles, special cockpit lighting compatible with the night vision devices, a digital color moving map and an independent multipurpose color display. Although the F/A-18C/D's future growth is now limited, it will also continue to fill a critical role in the U.S. Navy's carrier battle group for many years to come and will be an excellent complement to the larger, longer range, more capable F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

A total of 1.670 F/A-18A/B/C/ and D Hornets have been delivered since 1978.

The multi-mission Boeing F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" strike fighter is an upgrade of the combat-proven night strike F/A-18C/D. The Super Hornet will provide the battle group commander with a platform that has range, endurance, and ordnance carriage capabilities comparable to the A-6 which have been retired. F/A-18E/F's avionics and software have a 90 percent commonality with current F/A-18C/Ds. However, the F/A-18E/F cockpit features a touch-sensitive, upfront control display; a larger, liquid crystal multipurpose color display; and a new engine fuel display. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets are a third bigger, with half as much parts. Increased engine power comes from the F414-GE-400, an advanced derivative of the Hornet's current F404 engine family. The F414 produces 35 percent more thrust and improves overall mission performance. Enlarged air inlets provide increased airflow to the engines. This gives for aircraft carrier operations, about three times more payload can be brought back to the ship.

The US Navy is planning to procure a minimum of 432 Super Hornets.

Boeing EA-18G Growler

The EA-18G Growler will retain everything in it that the F/A-18F Super Hornet has today with two exceptions. The wing tip stations will have receiving antennas. The gun will be replaced with avionics boxes containing the LR-700 receiver and satellite communications, which interface with the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System pods. In November 15th 2001 Boeing successfully completed an initial flight demonstration of its EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) concept aircraft. The test used an F/A-18F Super Hornet to carry three ALQ-99 jamming pods and two fuel tanks while measuring noise and vibration data and assessing aircraft flying qualities.  

The 5-year SDD (system design and development) program for the EA-18G runs from FY04 until early FY09 and encompasses all laboratory, ground test, and flight tests from component level testing through full-up EA-18G weapons system performance flight-testing. The EA-18G is 99 percent common with the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Delivery of the first EA-18G Growler to the US Navy was at September 25, 2009, the aircraft, dubbed G-1, will join the flight test program at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., before entering fleet service. The Growler is expected to complete flight testing in 2008, followed by initial operational capability in 2009.