The Marine Corps began taking delivery of Hornets with provisions for a reconnaissance package in February 1992. Plans call for a total purchase of 31 tactical reconnaissance conversion kits, 24 data link pods and seven squadron ground stations. Deliveries will continue through 2002.

The combat-proven F/A-18 Hornet is a single- and dual-seat, twin-engine multimission tactical aircraft. It is the first tactical aircraft designed from its inception to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

Today, the F/A-18 is in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the air forces of Canada, Australia, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Switzerland, and Malaysia. As of May 1999 Hornet pilots have accumulated more than 3.7 million flight hours and, in the process, are establishing new records daily in safety, reliability, maintainability and mission performance.

A key aspect of the Hornet's popularity with pilots is the ease with which the aircraft can be converted from fighter to strike mode and back again; it's as easy as flipping a switch. During Operation Desert Storm, F/A-18s routinely performed fighter and strike missions on the same sortie. Fulfilling a variety of roles-air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close air support, and day and night strike missions-the F/A-18 has proven to be the most versatile combat aircraft in service.

The Hornet was designed to be reliable and easily maintainable. These factors result in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs for the F/A-18 compared to other U.S. Navy fighter and attack aircraft; and life cycle costs comparable to other modern multi-role aircraft. Survivability is another key feature of the Hornet. The F/A-18 uses a variety of systems and technologies to increase its likelihood of reaching a target undetected, of escaping unhurt if detected, and of returning its crew safely if it is hit. These systems and technologies have been significantly enhanced in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to further improve survivability.

The F/A-18 has been upgraded regularly since entering service in 1983. In November 1989, the first F/A-18s equipped with night strike capability were delivered. Since 1991, F/A-18s have been delivered with F404-GE-402 enhanced performance engines that produce up to 20 percent more thrust than previous F404 engines. The Hornet's two engines deliver about 36,000 pounds combined thrust and a top speed of more than Mach 1.8.

Since May 1994, the Hornet has been equipped with upgraded radar - the APG-73 -, which substantially increases the speed and memory capacity of the radar's processors. In addition, today's Hornets have a laser target designator/ranger, housed within the targeting forward-looking infrared sensor that enables the aircraft to deliver precision laser-guided bombs with pinpoint accuracy.

The Hornet's exceptional operational record and its continuous improvements have sparked ongoing international interest. The Philippines, Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have all expressed interest in the Hornet for future procurements.

Canada was the first international customer for the F/A-18, and its fleet of 138 Hornets is the largest outside the United States. Deliveries to Canada were completed in 1988. Canadian CF-18s operate out of Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta; and Canadian Forces Base Bagotville. The Canadian Forces are currently planning an aircraft modernization program, which would significantly upgrade the avionics of their CF-18s.

The Operational Conversion Unit at Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamtown received its first Hornets in May 1985. Hornets delivered to the RAAF were assembled in Australia. Aircraft are located at Williamtown, in the east, and RAAF Base Tindal, in the north. Deliveries were completed in May 1990. Currently, the fleet is undergoing a two phase upgrade to include advanced avionics, new countermeasures, a new radar and an advanced air to air weapons system.

The Spanish Air Force procured 72 EF-18s from 1986 to 1990. The SAF operates Hornets from air bases at Zaragoza, Torrejon and Meron. In September 1995, the SAF signed a letter of offer and acceptance to procure an additional 24 F/A-18As from the U.S. Navy inventory. To date, 13 of these aircraft have been delivered to the SAF.

Kuwait signed a letter of offer and acceptance for 40 F/A-18 aircraft in August 1988. Delivery of the 40 aircraft was completed in August 1993. The aircraft are based at Al Jabar Air Base, near Kuwait City. Kuwait received the first F/A-18s powered with General Electric's new F404-GE-402 enhanced performance engines.

Currently, Kuwait is in a post-production support mode. The United States continues to support the Kuwait Air Force with program management, contract administration, logistics, field team visits and sustained engineering.

Finland signed a letter of offer and acceptance for 64 aircraft in June 1992. The Boeing Company delivered seven F-18D two-seat aircraft to the Finnish Air Force in 1995. The first of 57 single-seat aircraft, all C models, were delivered in June 1996 by Boeing's subcontractor Finavitec in Halli, Finland. Finavitec is scheduled to deliver the final F-18 in 2000.

Switzerland is procuring two complete F/A-18s, 32 F/A-18 kits, support equipment and services. An F/A-18D and F/A-18C were delivered to Switzerland in December 1996 and early 1997 respectively. Kits for the remaining 32 aircraft were delivered in 1997. They are currently undergoing final assembly and ramp operations at the Swiss Aircraft and Systems Co. in Emmen, near Lucerne, Switzerland. Malaysia signed a letter of offer and acceptance for eight F/A-18 aircraft and support in December 1993. All eight aircraft were delivered during 1997.

The Boeing Company leads a nationwide industry team that builds the F/A-18 Hornet. Boeing builds the forward fuselage and wings, and conducts final assembly. Northrop Grumman Corp. is the principal airframe subcontractor, supplying the center and aft fuselage. General Electric Co. produces the Hornet's engines, and Raytheon manufacturers the aircraft's radar.

STATS

Length: 56 ft.
Height: 15.3 ft.
Wing Span: 40 ft.

Propulsion: Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE): Two F404-GE-402 engines, each in the 18,000 pound thrust class. Combat thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one-to-one.

Combat Radius: 500+ nm (900+ km)
Combat Ceiling: Approximately 50,000 ft (15,250 m)

Armament: Up to 13,700 pounds (6,227 kg) external ordnance. Nine weapon stations; two wingtip stations for Sidewinders, two outboard wing stations for air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, two inboard wing stations for fuel tanks, air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, two nacelle fuselage stations for AMRAAMs, Sparrows or sensor pods, and one centerline station for fuel or air-to-ground weapons. M61A1 20-mm gun internally mounted in the nose.

Crew:
FA-18C: One pilot
FA-18D: One pilot, One weapons and sensors officer (WSO)