McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets (F/A designation for Fighter/Attack). Designed byMcDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations. It has been the aerial demonstration aircraft for the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, since 1986.Source

A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet maneuvers in position behind a KC-10 Extender Nov. 25, 2010, during air refueling operations over the mountains of Afghanistan. The KC-10 is assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in support of operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin)

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- A Navy F/A-18 Hornet gets ready to taxi here. Two Navy Hornet squadrons are visiting Osan for a joint training exercise with local F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II units. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Stacie Shafran)

An F/A-18 Hornet from the Navy's Blue Angels stands by to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Alaska on Aug. 14. The Blue Angels team had performed at an air show at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Nelson Jr.)

Navy F-18 Hornets from the Naval Air Station's Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans arrive to take part in the Valiant Shield exercise Aug. 6 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. During the exercise being held Aug. 6 to 13, Airmen will participate in integrated joint training with Navy and Coast Guard forces. Andersen AFB will also be the beddown location for approximately 64 Air Force and 29 Navy aircraft, plus transient aircraft, during Valiant Shield. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Miranda Moorer)

Navy F-18 Hornets from the Naval Air Station's Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans arrive to take part in the Valiant Shield exercise Aug. 6 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. 

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets deploy heat flares during a combat patrol over Afghanistan Dec. 15. Trust between joint terminal attack controllers and pilots serves as an important aspect of close-air support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)

Airmen look over a load plan as they prepare to load an F/A-18 Super Hornet onto a C-5 Galaxy on Aug. 18, 2011, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. This marked the first time a U.S. fighter jet had been successfully loaded into a cargo aircraft for transport back to the U.S. The Airmen are assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kandahar Airfield and the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman David Carbajal)

A KC-135 Stratotanker from the Kansas Air National Guard's 190th Air Refueling Wing prepares to refuel Navy F/A-18 Hornets over Wake Island during an escort mission from Japan to the United States. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ben Fulton)

Four U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets approach a KC-10 Extender for refueling Nov. 25, 2010, over the mountains of Afghanistan. The KC-10 Extender is deployed with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in support of operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn at an air base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin)

OVER THE PERSIAN GULF -- An F/A-18C Hornet receives fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during a combat mission here April 20. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Don Berry)