The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was born from urgency: replace aging Navy jets, fly from tight decks, and do everything reasonably well. -It delivered—bigger lungs, tougher bones, and easier upkeep than the original Hornet,

Both aircraft were on routine flight operations, the Navy said, when they went down in the South China Sea only 30 minutes apart.

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has been the U.S. Navy’s workhorse since 1999. Larger and more capable than its predecessor the original Hornet, it brings a bigger airframe, more fuel, increased payload, and upgraded avionics.

Incredibly, the Super Hornet’s contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom yielded zero air-to-air losses and high mission success rates, though challenges like friendly fire incidents highlighted operational risks. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a twin-engine ...