NAS Patuxent River, Md. –
As the F/A-18 Super Hornet celebrates 30 years of distinguished service, its legacy continues to evolve with the F-35 Lightning II, the MQ-25 Stingray and E-2D Hawkeye flying alongside it. Operating in unison, these platforms strengthen the Navy’s ability to project power, ensure maritime security and dominate any battlespace.
The air was cold and clear over the tarmac at Lambert Field in Missouri on Nov. 29, 1995. The temperature hovered just above freezing, and a light southeast wind swept across the runway, where a sleek new fighter jet rumbled, ready for takeoff.
At 11:15 a.m., McDonnell Douglas test pilot Fred Madenwald advanced the throttles and the first F/A-18E Super Hornet, known as E-1, took to the sky. Its engines cut through the crisp Missouri air, marking the beginning of what would become a decades-long story of innovation, service and adaptability.
The Super Hornet has since become known as the backbone of American carrier aviation. It has flown into combat, supported humanitarian missions, deterred threats and projected U.S. power around the world.
In coming years, a combination of the F-35C and the Navy’s sixth-generation strike fighter will provide the Navy tactical fighter aircraft capacity within the carrier air wing as the sixth-generation strike fighter will augment and ultimately replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler in the carrier air wing. This multi-aircraft synergy highlights the strength of Naval Aviation and the collective capability of a unified air wing.
“We remain the strongest and most formidable force in the world, and each asset of the carrier air wing, like the Super Hornet, brings unique capabilities to ensure we stay lethal, adaptable and ready for the fight,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Hornbuckle, program executive officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)). “Naval Aviation is always prepared and ready to support our warfighters wherever they are to defend our homeland, our partners and allies, and our way of life.”
“I had the privilege of flying the Super Hornet into combat after 9/11 in the skies over Afghanistan and then again in the skies over Iraq and Syria,” said Capt. Michael Burks, who has served as the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office program manager since 2023. “With at least two more decades of flying for the Super Hornet, we continue to modernize and upgrade this airplane to keep it as lethal and survivable as possible as the tactical environment evolves. That is one of the reasons it’s been so successful from E-1 to now.”
New Design, New Capabilities
The Super Hornet was born out of a need to replace the aging F-14 Tomcat aircraft and the A-6 Intruder. Rather than starting from scratch, designers evolved the F/A-18 into a larger, more powerful and longer-range variant—one that could carry the Navy into the 21st century. The Super Hornet was the near-term, generational leap of the original Hornet.
The Super Hornet was designed for versatility from the outset and boasts 25% more wing area, 33% more internal fuel and increased payload capacity than its predecessor. The Super Hornet was built to go farther, fight harder and stay airborne longer. Twin engines gave it the power to launch from carrier decks in all conditions, advanced avionics and survivability features made it capable across a wide range of missions, and instead its design allowed
for quick adaptation to new technologies.
Like many long-running defense programs, the Super Hornet faced tough scrutiny early on. Some questioned the decision to modify an existing design rather than invest in a new platform. Others worried the aircraft would not deliver the speed, stealth or survivability needed for high-threat environments and questioned the jet’s ability to remain relevant long term.
In the wake of Cold War drawdowns and evolving global threats, that tension helped push the program toward rapid, iterative improvements, absorbing lessons from the fleet and responding with advances in sensors, systems and survivability, like active electronically scanned array radar, advanced targeting pods and other enhancements that have kept the platform in step with evolving operational threats.
“That adaptability became the aircraft’s greatest strength,” Burks said. “What you see today is the result of hard-earned trust—earned on the flight deck, in the field and over decades of operational use.”
Versatility in Service
As program manager, Burks oversees the efforts of active-duty military, Navy civilian service and contractor personnel within the F/A-18 and EA-18G program office who are working to support, sustain and advance the Super Hornet and its close cousins, the legacy Hornet and the EA-18G Growler. Add to that the fleet aviators, maintainers, industry production line workers and so on—one can quickly understand that while the Super Hornet’s longevity is a technical triumph, it’s also a human one. Its legacy represents thousands of careers—pilots, maintainers, engineers, deck crews, logisticians, software developers, test teams and project managers—people who, together, have built a lasting platform through deliberate, disciplined effort.
“People from all walks of life and areas of Naval Aviation feel some tangible connection to this aircraft,” Burks said. “Whether they’ve worked on the production line, whether they were engineers that did design work, whether they wore the uniform or are wearing it right now. The history of this aircraft—which is still being written—represents and honors the enduring impact of those who started and those who are sustaining what is probably one of the greatest runs in Naval Aviation for any platform out there.”
After entering fleet service in 1999, the aircraft flew its first strike mission in 2002 in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, soon becoming a central player in post-9/11 military operations. During operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, aviators flew Super Hornets in strike missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, provided close air support for troops on the ground and helped establish air superiority in contested skies.
During a dedication ceremony in 2024 when Super Hornet E-1 was inducted as an exhibit at the National Transportation Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, retired Vice Adm. Frank Morley said, “At no other time in Naval Aviation history have we had one aircraft that was the versatile airplane that did everything.”
Before he retired as the principal military deputy for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN(RDA)), Morley’s career included service as an F/A-18 E/F test pilot with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, where he was the fifth pilot to fly the Super Hornet and the first to land aboard a ship. He later served as program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office.
“This airplane was built purposely for more capacity, power, weight, cooling and bring back,” Morley said. “That has shown itself well because we continually upgrade the software, we continually update the weapons, and we continually update the avionics to keep this airplane extremely relevant.”
Super Hornets, alongside every platform of deployed air wings aboard Navy carriers, play a vital role in safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea. Through relentless combat air patrols and precision strike missions, they protect both commercial and military vessels against threats ensuring freedom of navigation in this critical region.
Forging Ahead
Now entering its Block III era, the Super Hornet features advanced cockpit systems, stealth coatings, improved connectivity and extended airframe life. The latest production aircraft will arrive right off the line with Block III features while Service Life Modification efforts provide Block II aircraft with Block III capability and increase their service life from 6,000 to 10,000 hours. These enhancements are designed to keep the Super Hornet lethal and survivable in highly contested environments while seamlessly integrating with the Navy’s next-generation platforms.
In 2024, the Navy placed a final order for 17 Block III Super Hornets, extending Boeing’s production line in St. Louis through early 2027. While this marks the conclusion of new-build Super Hornets for the U.S., it does not signal the end of the platform’s legacy. With more than 600 Super Hornets in service and the 100th Block III jet recently delivered, the aircraft will continue to provide significant combat capability into the 2040s.
“We have at least two more decades of flying for the Super Hornet; it’s still the workhorse,” Burks said. “The planes coming off the production line are going straight to the fight. This effort is vital to making sure that our flight lines are filled, our pilots can continue to be trained and proficient and ready, and that we have the most lethal airplanes possible going into the forward theater.”
For more than 20 years, Super Hornets have launched from U.S. carriers around the world. Whether in the Western Pacific, Arabian Gulf or Mediterranean Sea, they’ve provided forward presence, power projection and global reassurance. Thirty years after its first flight, the Super Hornet remains one of many Naval Aviation platforms that makes Naval Aviation exceptional with persistence, adaptability and purpose. In the 2030s, the Navy’s sixth-generation strike fighter will add to that excellence, augmenting and ultimately replacing the Super Hornet and EA-18G.
The Super Hornet has faced its share of challenges—but it has also delivered repeatedly. It has responded to crises, supported allies, flown deterrence missions and brought help to those in need, and, in doing so, carried forward the Navy legacy. That legacy reached a major milestone in 2025, when the F/A-18 and EA-18G program surpassed 12 million cumulative flight hours, a staggering number that few military aircraft families in history have reached.
It’s a legacy that fits squarely within the broader story of America’s sea services. As the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps celebrate 250 years of history this year, the Super Hornet and each platform of the carrier air wing stand as testaments to modern innovation and aviation excellence—forging the future on a foundation of service.
Sarah Ehman is a communications specialist with the F/A-18 and EA-18 Program Office. 
The Future Flies with the Super Hornet
Even at 30, the Super Hornet continues to level up. The newest version—the Block III Super Hornet—looks like the same jet, but inside, it’s smarter, tougher and built for future flight.
The Block III brings a host of upgrades to help pilots stay ahead in fast-changing battlespaces:
- An advanced cockpit system gives pilots faster access to mission data
- Features that improve survivability in high-threat environments
- A powerful new computer processor and data-sharing network allow it to connect seamlessly with other aircraft, ships and command centers
- The airframe itself has been reinforced to fly up to 10,000 hours, extending its service life into the 2040s
The Navy’s future air wings will include fourth-, fifth- and sixth-generation strike fighters, unmanned aircraft and advanced electronic warfare platforms. This multi-aircraft synergy highlights the strength of Naval Aviation—not just in individual airframes, but the collective capability of a unified air wing: a lethal, flexible and resilient air wing. The Block III Super Hornet remains a core component of that force, and its adaptability ensures it will keep pace with changing threats and technologies, even as new platforms come online.
F/A-18, EA-18G Surpass 12 Million Flight Hours
The Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft fleet has surpassed 12 million flight hours, marking an important milestone for one of the most enduring families of aircraft in modern Naval Aviation. This achievement underscores the capability, reliability and availability of these aircraft, which have served as the backbone of the Navy and Marine Corps air power for decades.
Put into perspective, the aircraft have completed the equivalent of 500,000 days, or nearly 1,370 years, of nonstop flight defending national interests and ensuring global security.
“When you call the roar of these aircraft ‘the sound of freedom,’ it holds real weight,” said Capt. Michael Burks, program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office. “Throughout their service, the F/A-18 and EA-18G family has supported nearly every major U.S. military conflict of the past 40 years and continues to adapt to rapidly changing threat environments. From the initial deployment of the Hornet to the advanced capabilities of the Super Hornet and Growler, these aircraft have delivered forward presence, tactical airpower and critical electronic warfare capabilities around the globe.”
Since the F/A-18 Hornet was first introduced in the 1980s, it has quickly become a versatile and capable fighter and attack aircraft. Its successor, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and its electronic warfare counterpart, the EA-18G Growler, introduced significant advancements in radar, avionics, payload capacity and electronic attack.
Key modernization efforts include Super Hornet Service Life Modification (SLM), which extends Super Hornet service life from 6,000 to 10,000 flight hours, and the delivery of Block III Super Hornets, which are equipped with advanced sensors, enhanced survivability and a redesigned cockpit for improved pilot performance. Growler Block II modifications will enhance mission systems, enable future capability growth and strengthen the Navy’s electronic warfare superiority.
“This milestone is a significant achievement and a reflection of the generations of sailors, Marines and civilians who sustain, fly and innovate these platforms every day,” Burks said. “Twelve million flight hours demonstrates our commitment to delivering world-class capability, enabling our warfighters to execute their missions with an asymmetric advantage and return home safely.”
The flight hour milestone comes at a notable time for Naval Aviation, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Super Hornet’s first flight in November, and as the Navy and Marine Corps celebrate 250 years of service to the nation this year.
From the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office.