Which Countries Have The Most F/A-18s In Their Military?
The F/A-18 Hornet is a highly recognizable fighter jet that’s been in operation since 1978. In addition to the United States military flying this twin-engine fighter for combat missions, the Navy’s flight demonstration team — the Blue Angels — has been performing for audiences worldwide with it since 1986. Filmmakers have also featured it in several movies such as 1996’s “Independence Day” and 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” It’s a reliable jet that has undergone multiple upgrades throughout the years, ultimately evolving from the Hornet (A-D models) to the Super Hornet (E/F models) in 2000.
The Super Hornet can fly at speeds up to Mach 1.8, and carry a combination of air-to-air missiles and laser-guided bombs. It has a total of 11 hardpoints, up from the original Hornet’s nine, allowing it carry quite a payload for a variety of missions. It might not have all the strengths ofthe F-22 Raptor, but it’s still a highly sought after fighter from various countries.
Naturally, being an American-made aircraft, America’s military has a hefty number of them in their arsenal. Specially designed for aircraft carrier launches and landings, the Super Hornet has been a mainstay of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since its debut.
Australia was the first international customer for the Super Hornet, and a slew of other countries soon followed suit, adding to their already existing inventory of older-generation Hornets. The F/A-18 makes up six percent of all combat aircraft used around the world, according to Flight Global.
Various air forces around the world are flying the F/A-18
There are a total of eight different countries that fly the F/A-18 Hornet for both combat and training operations. Some of them have more Hornets on order, while others are phasing them out in favor of fifth-generation aircrafts, but the Super Hornet is a widely used fighter jet.
The country with the largest F/A-18 Hornet fleet is the United States. The Marine Corps might havephased out its Main Battle Tank battalions, but they still very much have access to air operations, with 140 combat-ready Hornets and 46 used for training purposes.
The U.S. Navy, on the other hand, takes the cake with 592 Hornets being used for front line combat and training — it also has another 76 models on order. Canada has the second most in operation, with a total of 65 F/A-18A models for combat and 25 F/A-18Bs for training. That’s a total of 89 units; a staggering difference between the two nations in defense spending. Spain chose to replenish its fleet with the Hornet overthe F-16 Fighting Falconback in 1995, and has flown it ever since — they own 83 in all.
Kuwait’s Air Force currently operates 27 F/A-18C Hornets for combat roles, with 32 F-18E Super Hornets on order. It also uses 15 F-18Ds and F-18Fs to train their pilots. Finland rounds out the top five countries with its 62 Hornets. The other three countries with a handful of Hornets and Super Hornets are Australia, Malaysia, and Switzerland.
