December 16, 2020
Why the U.S. Navy Loves the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The F-18 can take on many roles and replaced the venerable F-14 Tomcat.
by Peter Suciu
Developed as the U.S. military’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet could take on traditional strike applications including interdiction and close air without compromising its fighter capabilities. Over the years, the platform has been steadily improved and in 1999 the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered service with the U.S. Navy as replacement for the F-14 Tomcat.
This second model upgrade proved highly capable across the full mission spectrum and could fill the role of air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike aircraft. The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, which is now manufactured by Boeing following its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, has been produced in two distinct versions including the single-seat F/A-18/E and the dual-seat F/A-18/F.
As the final variants of the original multirole F/A-18 aircraft, the model offered a 20 percent larger airframe, while the Super Hornet could carry an additional 33 percent more internal fuel, which increased its mission range by 41 percent while its endurance was increased by 50 percent over the earlier aircraft. Yet, despite being super-sized, the F/A-18E/F actually has 42 percent fewer parts than its predecessor the F/A-18C/D variant.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-us-navy-loves-fa-18ef-super-hornet-174594
