F/A-18 Hornet

The F/A-18 Hornet flew from the U.S. Navy's twelve aircraft carriers and from the air bases of eight allied nations. U.S. Navy and Marine pilots and pilots of Canada, Australia, Spain, Kuwait, and Finland have, with over 1,200 delivered Hornets, accumulated more than 2,500,000 flight hours, and in the process, established new records daily in safety, reliability, maintainability, and mission performance. Switzerland, Malaysia and Thailand also used F/A-18s.

The F/A-18 is truly a strike fighter, combining the capabilities of an attack aircraft or bomber with those of the fighter or interceptor. The original F/A-18A (single seat) and F/A-18B (dual seat) became operational in 1983. They were remarkably different from all earlier naval aircraft in that their design allowed them to assume a variety of roles, and to be easily and economically upgraded to counter evolving threats. To handle these eventualities a design based on the use of programmable digital computers was selected so future changes to the Hornet's functional capability could be made without expensive changes to hardware.

There are nine highly reliable digital computers in the F/A-18 which operate both the flight controls and the weapons system including the cockpit displays. Survivability not present in older airplanes has been designed into the Hornet. Fuel is not stored over engines. The engine feed tanks are self-sealing. Independent multipaths are used to route the flight controls and the hydraulic systems are split right and left and have the ability to seal off leaking branches.

The F/A-18 has a digital fly-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease, compared to older airplanes. At the same time this system provides exceptional maneuverability, and allows the pilot to spend more time operating the weapons system. With the addition of a Head-Up Display (HUD) superimposed in front of the windscreen, the need to scan the instruments has been virtually removed.

A solid thrust-to-weight ratio and superior turn characteristics combined with good energy sustainability enable the F/A-18 to stand up to any aircraft in the inventory. The power to maintain evasive action is what many pilots consider the Hornet's finest trait.

Throughout the F/A-18's history it has been upgraded regularly. Following a successful run of more than 400 A and B models, the U.S. Navy began taking fleet deliveries of improved F/A-18C (single seat) and F/A-18D (dual seat) models in September 1987. These 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. The NAVFLIR is a fixed field of view sensor that provides automatic electronic boresighting, which optically aligns the scene on the pilot's HUD with the view outside. It maintains clear horizon definition, even during sharp banking maneuvers, and provides target hot spot cueing for target detection.

The F/A-18 has been battle tested and has proved itself to be exactly what its designers intended: a highly reliable and versatile strike fighter. The Hornet played an important role in the 1986 strikes against Libya. Flying from the carrier Coral Sea (CV 43) F/A-18s launched high speed antiradiation missiles (HARMs) against Libyan air defense radars and missile sites, effectively silencing them during the attacks on Benghazi facilities. On the first day of Operation Desert Storm two F/A-18s, each carrying four 2,000 lb bombs, shot down two Iraqi MiGs and then proceeded to deliver their bomb loads on target. Throughout the Gulf War squadrons of U.S. Navy, Marine and Canadian F/A-18s operated around the clock, setting records daily in reliability and survivability. Four Marine F/A-18s were hit by surface-to-air missiles; returned to base safely, were repaired and back flying within 48 hours.

Despite the operational value of the annual upgrades to the F/A-18, by 1992 it became apparent that the F/A-18C/D airframe could no longer accommodate additional new weapons and weapon systems. Room for growth had been exhausted, not only space within the airframe to locate new equipment, but electrical and cooling capacity as well. That year the Secretary of Defense approved the development of larger, longer-range, more capable F/A-18s, the F/A-18E (single seat) and F/A-18F (dual seat). The first F/A-18E was unveiled on September 18, 1995 and labeled the "Super Hornet" by Admiral Mike Boorda, the Chief of Naval Operations. It later took to the skies on November 29, 1995, one month ahead of schedule, for a successful first flight.

The F/A-18E recovery payload increases by 3,500 lbs (to 9,000 total lbs) over the F/A-18C. This allows the F/A-18E to land back onboard with larger numbers of either training ordnance, or high-value "smart weapons." Although specifics vary depending on mission scenario, the F/A-18E/F range and endurance increase significantly over that of the F/A-18C/D across the warfighting spectrum. For example:

Flying a Desert Storm-type high altitude profile on an interdiction mission with a load of two 2,000-lb Mark- 84 laser-guided bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missiles, one AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), a targeting forward-looking infrared pod and two fuel tanks, the F/A-18E's combat radius is 621 nautical miles. Flying the same configuration, the F/A-18C's combat radius is 496 nautical miles. It should be noted that the F/A-18E carries two 480-gallon fuel tanks, where the F/A-18C carries 330-gallon tanks. The fuel consumption for both profiles includes the fuel required to warm up the aircraft, taxi to the catapult, launch, climb to optimal cruise altitude, cruise to within fifty nautical miles of the target area, accelerate to 540 knots, dash inbound at 540 knots to the target, drop the air-to-ground weapons, dash fifty nautical miles outbound at 540 knots, engage an enemy aircraft, make a 360 degree turn in maximum afterburner, launch air-to-air weapons, climb to optimal altitude, cruise back at optimal altitude, and descend to 500 feet for recovery on the aircraft carrier with reserve fuel for 20 minutes loiter at sea level plus a reserve of 5% total initial fuel.

On a fighter sweep mission with a load of three AMRAAMs, two Sidewinders, a targeting FLIR and two fuel tanks, the E's 664-nautical mile radius exceeds the C's 518-nautical mile radius by 146 nautical miles.
In a combat air patrol scenario at 200 nautical miles, the E remains on station 80% longer than the C (1.8 hours vs. 1 hour).

Power projection range is also increased by the F/A-18's ability to deliver precision standoff weapons. Like the F/A-18C/D the E/F's digital avionics suite enables integration of all the Navy's current or in-development advanced weapons.

Although the F/A-18E/F is nearly 25% larger than the C/D, it is considerably more survivable and has a smaller vulnerable area. Survivability improvements are derived from a combination of factors, including reduced radar and infrared cross sections (through design features and coatings); greater situational awareness (through a combination of late-model C/D upgrades and new multi-purpose cockpit displays that fully exploit multi-sensor integration); an advanced countermeasures suite (additional chaff and flares, the ALE-47 automatic countermeasures dispenser, and the ALE-50 towed decoy); and reduced vulnerability (through an active dry-bay fire suppression system; self-sealing fuel tanks; explosion suppression foam in the wing fuel tanks; and hydraulic reservoir level sensing).

In the F/A-18E/F, volume, electrical power, and cooling margins renew the Hornet's ability to accommodate advancing technology as required.

The prime contractor for the F/A-18 and the manufacturer of the forward fuselage and wings is McDonnell Douglas Aerospace of St. Louis, Missouri. The center and aft fuselage is built by Northrop Grumman Corporation of Los Angeles, California. The engines are made by General Electric Aircraft Engines of Lynn, Massachusetts, and the radar is manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company of Los Angeles.

The F/A-18 "Hornet" is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. The Hornet is the first tactical aircraft designed from inception to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and the nation's first strike fighter.

As a digital aircraft, the F/A-18 has experienced substantial growth in warfighting capability since its introduction to the Fleet in 1981; it has been continually upgraded to maintain its advantage over the threat. Today's 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 F/A-18's advanced radar and avionics systems allow Hornet pilots to convert their aircraft from fighter to strike mode and back with the flip of a single switch. In Operation Desert Storm, F/A-18s performed fighter and stike missions on the same sortie, fighting their way to a target by defeating opposing aircraft, then destroying their ground targets and returning safely home. The F/A-18 also employs a number of other systems and technologies that increase its likelihood of reaching a target undetected, of escaping unhurt if detected, and of returning its crew safely if it is hit. The aircraft's reliability, survivability and maintainability were also proven during Operation Desert Storm as the aircraft broke all records for tactical aircraft. In one scenario, F/A-18s were hit by surface-to-air missiles; returned safely; were repaired and flying again the next day.

The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and is also replacing the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft are retired during the 1990s. The F/A-18 is built by a nationwide industry team of McDonnell Douglas (forward fuselage and wings), Northrop Grumman (center and aft fuselage), General Electric (engines), and Hughes (radar). The F/A-18 is the "core" of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps tactical aviation.

Sources:

National Museum of the USAF

The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare, edited by Chris Bishop, 2001, Aerospace Publishing