(Baonghean.vn) - The F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based fighter jet is considered one of the most formidable aircraft in the US military. It is also likened to the backbone of the US Naval Air Force and Marine Corps.
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| The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a carrier-based fighter and attack aircraft that entered service with the United States Navy in 1999. |
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| Currently, this type of aircraft is also on order from the Royal Australian Air Force. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is larger and more modern than the F/A-18C/D Hornet. |
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| The aircraft was designed with a length of 18.31 m (60 ft 1¼ in); a wingspan of 13.62 m (44 ft 8½ in); and a height of 4.88 m (16 ft). |
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| The Super Hornet's design may have undergone a much broader evolution than any other fighter aircraft. |
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| The F-5 Freedom Fighter laid the basic foundation for the wing design of the Super Hornet, which only expanded the aperture at the wing-to-fuselage connection, and the nose section was developed from the Northrop YF-17 Cobra, a light fighter aircraft. |
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| The YF-17 was evaluated for its advantages as a potential addition to the production of the medium-weight multirole fighter F/A-18, which is comparable to the Phantom in terms of range/maximum payload and missile armament. |
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| The Super Hornet is about 20% larger, weighs 7,000 lb more empty, and has a higher payload capacity than the original Hornet at 15,000 lb. |
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| The fighter jets are equipped with the most modern weapons such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile, Paveway laser-guided bombs, AGM-88 Harm anti-radiation missiles, and AGM-154 and AGM-158 stand-off attack missiles. |
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| The F/A-18 has a combat radius of over 900 km and a top speed exceeding Mach 1.8 (1,915 km/h), making it an effective tool for projecting air power for the US Navy. |
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| The armament consists of one 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1/A2 Vulcan automatic cannon and weapon pylons: 11 points with a payload capacity of up to 8,050 kg (17,750 lb) of weapons (bombs and missiles). |
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