McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet

The F/A-18C Hornet is the primary strike-fighter in USN and USMC service today. The strike-fighter concept involves an aircraft which is capable of fulfilling both the fighter and attack roles, hence the dual designation "F/A". With a crew of one, the Hornet boasts an extremely modern cockpit with three multifunction displays (MFDs) and a state-of-the-art head-up display (HUD). Pilots praise the F/A-18 for its maneuverability, reliability, and versatility in switching from the air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

The Hornet has been called a "self-escorting striker." During Desert Storm, a pair of Iraqi MiG-21s was downed by an F/A-18 section from VFA-81 "Sunliners." The Sunliner section then proceeded to hit its assigned ground target without further incident.

F/A-18s are cleared for virtually every type of air-to-ground ordnance, capable of carrying the Mk 80 series of iron bombs, various LGBs, Harpoons, SLAMs, and HARMs. In addition, they typically carry wingtip Sidewinders and have been cleared to carry the AIM-120A AMRAAM medium-range active radar guided missile.

The Hornet has been designated by the Navy as the future of naval aviation. The D version is a dual-seat night attack fighter that is in service with the USMC. Currently, the main tactical aircraft development program is the F/A-18E/F, intended to eventually replace both the F-14 and A-6. Air wings are beginning to move toward a triple-Hornet scheme, with two squadrons of USN F/A-18Cs along with an attached Marine squadron.

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