Introduction of the Hornet—A Success Story

The F/A-18 Hornet is the U. S. Navy's newest combat aircraft. It is also in service with the U. S. Marine Corps, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Spanish Navy. All of these different users have been very successful in integrating the Hornet into their operations with a minimum of effort and disruption. This is due to the Hornet's design, in which a strong emphasis was placed on reliability and maintainability. The result is a weapon system which is easily learned by the personnel who must operate it. Other benefits include a high readiness rate and a much reduced requirement for support personnel and equipment.