McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Evolution of the ‘Sharpshooters’: Training USMC pilots to fly the Hornet
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) was formally stood down at MCAS Miramar, California, on September 29. Joe Copalman looks back at the evolution of the USMC’s iconic ‘Sharpshooters’
USMC’s legacy Hornet-equipped ‘Silver Eagles’ stand down
The USMC moved another step closer to phasing out its legacy Hornet fleet on November 9, when Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115) was deactivated at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina
Canadian Hornet fleet deemed ‘not credible’ as it suffers instructor shortage
A report by the UK-based RUSI – commissioned by the Canadian Department of National Defence – was leaked to The Globe and Mail newspaper, revealing that its author, Professor Justin Bronk, had assessed that Canada’s CF-188A/B Hornet fighter fleet may be unable to meet its commitments, judging that it was “not credible in a NATO context against many of the higher-end mission sets”
USMC’s ‘Silver Eagles’ conclude final legacy Hornet deployment
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115) ‘Silver Eagles’ departed MCAS Iwakuni in Japan on September 28, marking the conclusion of a six-month Unit Deployment Program tour in the Indo-Pacific region with Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12)
US Marines Sharpshooters stand down
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine aircraft group MAG-11 said goodbye to Marine fighter attack training squadron VMFAT-101, when the unit was deactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, on September 29, 2023.
GALLERY: Canadian Hornets in the Mach Loop during Cobra Warrior
McDonnell Douglas CF-188A Hornets of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) while deployed to the UK for Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-2 have also taken advantage of low flying areas for additional training
Ukraine eyes retired Australian F/A-18s to help boost war effort
Ukraine, Australia and the US are reported to be currently engaged in discussions regarding the potential transfer of up to 41 ex-Royal Australian Air Force-operated Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet multi-role fighters to Kyiv in a bid to strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force’s airpower capabilities as the nation’s war with Russia continues
NASA readies ex-USMC F/A-18D for chase mission ahead of X-59 testing
A former USMC-operated F/A-18D Hornet that was acquired by NASA from the US Navy in 2021 has been rolled out at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center – a part of Edwards AFB in California – after being rejuvenated and repainted ahead of its planned use in supporting the testing of the administration’s X-59 QueSST technology demonstrator
Spanish F/A-18 assists stricken airliner during in-flight emergency
A Spanish Air and Space Force-operated F/A-18A+ Hornet assigned to 462 Escadron – a component of Ala 46 at Gando Air Base, Gran Canaria – recently provided support to an Airbus A321-211 belonging to Sunclass Airlines, after the airliner declared an in-flight emergency due to a possible landing gear problem
IN PICTURES: Exercise Cobra Warrior - Action from Day One
Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1 kicked off in typically cold northern English weather, but the action certainly provided such much-needed heat. Check out some of the action shots from the first day of the exercise here