• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

F/A-18 Program Surpasses 5,000,000 flight hours

NAVAIR News Release

12/12/2002

As F/A-18 pilots took to the skies today they marked a notable moment in Hornet history, marking the day the program turned 5,000,000 flight hours. U.S. and International F/A-18's commemorated today's event around the globe.

"The most interesting aspect of the 5,000,000 F/A-18 flight hours is that each consecutive million has been more capable, survivable and successful," said Captain Jeff Wieringa, NAVAIR F/A-18 Program Manager. "The earliest model F/A-18A aircraft, some of which have been flying now for 20 years, has been enhanced to keep it ahead of the evolving threat. The newest model of the F/A-18, the Super Hornet is one of the nation's finest examples of evolutionary acquisition and spiral development of evolutionary development."

There are currently 1,290 hornets flying in fifty-eight active duty, reserve and test squadrons, as well as in seven foreign countries. The F/A-18s have been in every major conflict U.S. military forces have engaged in since the early 1980s, suppressing Libyan air defenses, supporting ground forces in Operation Desert Storm, bringing order to the skies over the Balkans and most recently played a significant role in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Joining the Hornets today in Operation Southern Watch is the new F/A-18E model, currently flown by Strike Fighter Squadron 115 (VFA-115) with Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14) from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Super Hornets are giving the term enhancement a new and profound meaning. These aircraft are far more survivable than all their predecessors, and can deliver more precision strike weapons at greater distances, providing the battle group commander the luxury of operating farther from enemy shores.

One of the first squadrons airborne was Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192) from the USS Kitty Hawk who is permanently forward-deployed and operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. Commanding Officer Cmdr. James "Hoser" Paulsen commented, "We are proud to be part of this impressive milestone in Hornet history. It is a tribute to our maintenance program and the sailors who are maintainers that we have been able to continue to make the Hornet such an irreplaceable part of naval aviation."

U.S Marines from Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons 122(VMFA) from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan and pilots from the Royal Malaysian Air Force were also part of the first time zone to announce their participation.

Five million flight hours constitute quite an achievement, but more importantly, they provide the background for further development of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G. The Super Hornets possess the capacity in space, electrical power and cooling to accommodate the new weapons, sensors, and countermeasures that are under development today, and will continue to evolve in a carefully planned progression well into the 21st Century.

Additional Information on the F/A-18 Aircraft: The Hornet went to battle for the first time in 1986. From the USS Coral Sea, the F/A-18A flew against Libyan aircraft. Later, following terrorist bombings in Berlin, the Hornet led successful ship-to-shore air strikes against missile bases in Libya and SAM missile sites around Tripoli and Benghazi.

But its proving ground for the F/A-18 was the Gulf War. More than 210 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Canadian F/A-18 Hornets were engaged in Operation Desert Storm. More than 6,000 targets were hit by Hornet aircraft flying a variety of missions from fleet air defense, to reconnaissance, to suppression of enemy ground forces. The F/A-18 aircraft delivered 18 million pounds of ordnance, clocked more than 30,000 flight hours.

The F/A-18 is built to survive, as it did in over 11,000 hours in Bosnia and 13,000 above the skies of Kosovo. By September 2000 the F/A-18 program had already logged over 4,000,000 flight hours.

The F/A-18 played a significant role in the success of Operation Enduring Freedom flying over 56,000 hours, and is still flying patrols Operation Southern Watch, as they have for the past ten years.

Seven countries selected the Hornet as their aircraft of choice. Canada was the first international customer, and its purchase of 138 F/A-18 aircraft is the largest outside the United States. The Royal Australian Air Force took first delivery of its 75 F/A18 A and B models on October 29, 1984. The Air Force of Spain was the Hornet's first European customer, ordering 72 A and B models and in 1992 the Kuwait Air Force deliveries commenced for 40 C and D models. The Swiss Air Force ordered kits for 32 C and D Hornets in 1988, and Finland ordered 64 aircraft for its Air Force in 1992. The first of 8 Malaysian Hornets, a two-seat F/A-18D, was delivered in 1997.

For more information about the F/A-18 Program please contact Denise Deon Wilson, Public Affairs Officer for NAVAIR PEO-T at 301-481-6263 or deond@navair.navy.mil.

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From professional training to carrier launch; from sensor data to precision targeting; from aircraft and weapons development to successful deployment; from real-time communication to aircraft recovery NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.