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The Hornet Ball (Strike Fighter Ball Pacific) is an annual event consisting of all the West coast Naval F/A-18C Legacy Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons, their pilots and guests. Each year the event features a video, produced by “Wingnut”, a Hornet pilot himself, compiled from all the squadrons’ last year of flying in both combat and training missions: catapult launches, trap landings, aerobatics, dogfighting against Su-30s and Mig-29s, live firing of air-to-air missiles, HARM anti-radion missiles, LGBs (Laser Guided Bombs), cluster bombs, low level flying in the desert, ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared) pod clips, and much more.

U.S. Navy celebrates 500th Super Hornet, Growler program delivery 14:04 GMT, April 21, 2011 ST. LOUIS, Mo. | The U.S. Navy and its industry partners marked the 500th delivery of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft during a celebration at the Boeing facility here yesterday. “Today is another significant milestone for a program that has by any measure exceeded expectations for cost, schedule and performance. The PMA-265/Hornet Industry Team has consistently delivered capable and reliable aircraft to our fleet customer,” said Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager (PMA-265). Industry partners Northrop Grumman, General Electric Aircraft Engines...

Ultra Hornet By Graham Warwick Boeing and the US Navy are poised to expand and exploit the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's capability for precision engagement and battle management now the upgraded platform is matched to the latest avionics While debate rages over the hallmarks and advantages of fifth-generation fighters, Boeing is preparing to deliver the next generation of its long-running F/A-18. The F/A-18E/F Block II+ Super Hornet is the culmination of a fundamental upgrade of the multi-role fighter and the foundation for future capability expansion. Next-generation Super Hornet deliveries to the US Navy will begin later this year when the first...

Boeing offers IAF advanced AESA radar with F-18 Feb 8, 2007, 12:30 GMT Bangalore, Feb 8 (IANS) After offering to co-produce the F-18 Super Hornet in this country if it wins an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 combat jets, US aerospace major Boeing Thursday upped the ante by committing itself to equipping the aircraft with the latest generation radar that greatly enhances its capabilities. And, in keeping with current 'Network-centric warfare' doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces, Boeing says the F-18 is more than equipped to put this concept into practice by coordinating operations in the air and...

Flying into trouble Australia is risking its credibility in the region if it pursues its plan to buy 24 Super Hornet aircraft, writes Carlo Kopp. LAST week's disclosure of negotiations to procure 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets as interim replacements for Australia's existing F-111 fleet is the latest instalment in the sorry saga of the RAAF's decline as a credible regional air force. Until last week, senior Defence figures repeatedly denied that Super Hornets were being sought as gap fillers to overcome continuing difficulties with the long running F/A-18A Hornet Upgrade Program, increasing delays with the Joint Strike Fighter, and...

Boeing aims to beat Indian arms limits By Arie Egozi in Tel Aviv Boeing is evaluating the possibility of offering its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to India equipped with Israeli-made avionics in an effort to bypass the US government’s opposition to the export of some US-produced systems to the country. India is expected to consider the Super Hornet design for a new air force requirement for 126 new lightweight fighters, a request for proposals (RFP) for which is expected to be released later this year. The invitation for Israeli companies to participate in the project is also being based on the...

<p>New Delhi: The dogfight for bagging the Indian order for 126 fighter aircraft has taken a sensational twist. The front-runner, the French Mirage 2000, has pulled out, complaining that India is taking too much time to make up its mind.</p>

BATTLE OF THE SUPERFIGHTERS Two Experts Say the Super Hornet isn't so Super Editors' note: every airplane that goes into service is accompanied by controversy. This is especially true of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Our two experts argue that the Super Hornet is not necessarily the airplane the Navy needs for the future, and their backgrounds lend weight to their arguments. Rear Adm. Paul Gillcrist U.S. Navy (Ret.) spent 33 years as a fighter pilot and wing commander and was operations commander of all Pacific Fleet fighters. Bob Kress is an aeronautical engineer and, during his long career at Grumman,...