A substantially enlarged and redesigned carrier multirole fighter developed from the Hornet concept with new structure, engines, range, payload, and growth margin.
Development
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was developed by McDonnell Douglas Corporation and The Boeing Company in United States as a multirole fighter. The family first flew in 1995. Its recorded airframe configuration is fixed wing, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is represented primarily in the multirole fighter role. The sourced variant records include service with United States Navy. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include carrier based, air superiority, and battlefield interdiction.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include F/A-18E, F/A-18F, F/A-18E Block II, F/A-18F Block II, EA-18G Growler, and F/A-18E Block II APG-79 standard, with additional variants retained in the family record. Recorded lineage links identify the family as major redesign of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Super Hornet demonstrator | Prototype | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| EA-18G Growler | Special Mission | Electronic Attack / SEAD | United States Navy |
| EA-18G Growler Block II development | Upgrade | Electronic Attack / SEAD | United States Navy |
| F/A-18E | Production | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18E Block II | Upgrade | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18E Block II APG-79 standard | Upgrade | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18E Block III | Upgrade | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18F | Production | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18F Block II | Upgrade | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
| F/A-18F Block III | Upgrade | Multirole Fighter | United States Navy |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
F/A-18E — C018 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 1
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F414 turbofans
Armament: Internal cannon plus air-to-air missiles, anti-ship weapons, precision-guided munitions, and conventional strike stores.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- F/A-18 Hornet Fighter — Boeing historical product summary — The Boeing Company · Tier 2
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2005-06 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2006-07 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2012-13 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2013-14 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2021-22 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2024-25 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3