F-18 Hornet
By Northrop Grumman
The F-18 maintained the general configuration of the YF-17, but a notable change was found in the use of new technology in digital computers and in the use of cathode ray tubes for cockpit displays. The F/A-18 was the Navy's first tactical jet aircraft to incorporate a digital, MUX bus architecture for the entire system's avionics suite. The F/A-18's first flight was in November 1978 when development testing was carried out at the Naval Air Test Center. At this time, some development problems were found in basic aircraft hardware, but significant problems were not found in the new digital electronic systems. The F/A-18 has been relatively easy to upgrade on a regular, affordable basis.
The F/A 18A with its single seat and F/A 18B with the dual seats became operational in 1983. Battle group commanders made the aircraft their mainstay because of its capability, versatility and availability. Ease of maintenance was emphasized in aircraft design and F/A 18's have flown three times more hours without failure than other Navy tactical aircraft. In addition, they required only half the maintenance time
Improvements inside the cockpit were many. In 1989, the C/D models included improved night attack capabilities with a navigation forward-looking infrared pod, a raster head-up display, night vision goggles, special cockpit lighting compatible with the night vision devices, a digital color moving map and independent multipurpose color display. Ground map generation became possible with the F/A-18c's synthetic aperture ground mapping radar. This capability made it possible for crews to locate and attack targets in bad weather and poor visibility, thus improving bombing accuracy.
It was two F/A 18's which, on the first day of Operation Desert Storm, after downing two Iraqi MiGs, delivered four 2,000 lb. bombs right on target. During the Gulf War, squadrons of F-18s from the US Navy, Marine and also from Canada, operated around the clock, setting records in reliability, survivability and ton-miles of ordnance delivered. International customers of this aircraft also include Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. It is anticipated that this aircraft will fill a critical role in the U.S. Navy's carrier battle group for many years.