Top 5 Missions Of The F/A-18 Hornet Multirole Fighter Jet

The F/A-18 family of carrier-based fighter jets is one of the world’s best and most versatile fighter jets (even if Top Gun’s Maverick finds the first opportunity to jump back into an F-14 Tomcat). Super Hornets constitute the backbone of the US Navy carrier air wing and will continue to do so until the F-35C eventually replaces it in numbers.

The newest variant is the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet, which, according to the Navy, can “perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control, and tanker missions.”

1

Air superiority

The F/A-18 family is responsible for achieving air superiority for the Navy, and the last time it shot down an enemy jet was in 2017

According to Boeing, the F/A-18 Super Hornet is “built for air superiority.” It first entered service in 1999 as the replacement for the venerable F-14 Tomcat (the Super Hornet is a major upgrade on the Hornet family). It is built to achieve air superiority, and while it may not excel in that role quite to the same degree as the F-22 Raptor, it is a formidable aircraft.

Photo: USAF

Perhaps the most recent air-to-air fighter jet kill for the F/A-18 family was on 18 June 2017 when a Navy F/A-18E shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. This was the first time the US had shot down a manned aircraft since 1999. The Syrian pilot, Captian Ali Fahd, managed to eject and was later rescued by the Syrian forces. The F/A-18E pilot, Lieutenant Commander Michael Tremel later received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions.

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2

Electronic attack aircraft

The EA-18G Growler is the world’s premier fighter electronic attack aircraft

One of the most notable variants of the F/A-18 is the EA-18G Growler. The Growler is an electronic attack aircraft built to disrupt, deceive, or deny a broad range of military electronic systems (including radars and communications). Boeing claims the Growler is the “most advanced airborne electronic attack platform and is the only one in production today.”

Photo: Boeing

Jamming is a critical part of US Navy power projection. The Growler is a specialized version of the Super Hornet. Australia has become a notable export customer for the Growler, which has been in service with the Royal Australian Air Force since 2017 and in US Navy operational service since 2009. The variant is not equipped with a cannon.

3

Fighter escort

F/A-18s are frequently employed to perform escort duties for the Navy and for other organizations

According to the Navy, when “In its fighter mode, the F/A-18 is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense.” They are used to defend the fleet from threats and to escort aircraft. It’s not only the US Navy that uses the F/A-18 in escort roles; two NASA F/A-18s escorted a NASA Boeing 747 Shutter Carrier Aircraft while carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour over parts of California in September 2012.

Photo: Lawrence Reid US Navy

In January 2024, it was reported two Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornets provided an escort to an Airbus Corporate Jet 320 carrying the Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

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4

Attack

The F/A-18 is able to provide deep air support and ground attack missions

The F/A-18 is designated as both a fighter and an attack aircraft (that’s why it is called “F/A”). The Navy says that in its fighter mode, the F/A-18 is used for force projection, interdiction, and close and deep air support.” The suite of missions underlines just how versatile the aircraft is.

Photo: Senior Airman Duncan Bevan | US Air Force

While the Air Force can have dedicated aircraft like the ground attack A-10 Warthog and the air-superiority F-22 Raptor, the Navy needs the F/A-18 to be the Jack of all trades. Recently, the Navy has been using F/A-18s in ground attack roles against the Houthi rebels in Yemen in an effort to protect international shipping.

5

Refueling

The aircraft has been built to be able to refuel other Super Hornets

The upgraded Super Hornet is able to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS), also called a “buddy store,” so that it can refuel other aircraft (the older Hornet lacks this ability). This helps the Navy to bridge the gap from retiring its KA-6D and Lockheed S-3B Viking tankers.

Photo: United States Navy

On typical missions, around a fifth of the air wing is dedicated to tanker roles. One drawback is that operating in a tanker role causes more aircraft fatigue and uses up the aircraft’s life expectancy faster than other missions. Boeing is currently working to advance the ability of carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray drones to return Super Hornets.