In 1978, the F/A-18 Hornet completed its first flight, kicking off a military aircraft program that became operational with the Marine Corps in 1983 and the U.S. Navy in 1984. According to America’s Navy, the program encompassed “the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression, and day/night precision strike,” replacing the F-4 Fantom and the A-7 Corsair. In 1999, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered service in two configurations. The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F replaced the retiring F/A-18C and the F/A-18D aircraft.
The Super Hornet is a twin-engine, mid-wing, high-performance, and multi-mission tactical aircraft that weighs 7,000 pounds more than the F/A-18C Hornet fighter and features a 50% greater range. The stealthy-shaped aircraft with a reduced radar signature is equipped with two F414-GE-400 turbofan engines each producing 22,000 pounds of static thrust that propel the aircraft to an airspeed of Mach 1.8+ and a maximum ceiling of 50,000 feet. The Super Hornet boasts a combat range of 1,275 nautical miles and a price tag of $67.4 million (FY21).
On July 24, 2002, the F/A-18 E Super Hornet conducted its inaugural operational cruise with the VFA-115 strike fighter squadron onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Hornet’s initial combat action occurred later that year in a strike on hostile targets in Iraq’s “no-fly” zone. Although the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is still in service, Boeing has announced its retirement and will end production in 2025.
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