Credit
US Air Force · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
Measured figures
F/A-18C/D · Length
Single source56 ft 1 in (17.1 m)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet | Shenyang J-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Multirole fighter[source] | — |
| National origin | United States[source] | People's Republic of China[source] |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas (1974–1997) with Northrop (1974–1994) Boeing (1997–2000)[source] | Shenyang Aircraft Corporation[source] |
| Status | In service[source] | In service[source] |
21.9 m (71 ft 10 in)[source]
F/A-18C/D · wing folded
Single source27 ft 7 in (8.4 m) wing folded[source]
Empty; F/A-18C/D · Empty weight
Single sourceGross; F/A-18C/D · Gross weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; F/A-18C/D · Max takeoff weight
Single source23,000 lb (10,433 kg)[source]
36,970 lb (16,769 kg)[source]
51,900 lb (23,541 kg)[source]
Empty; Empty weight
Single sourceMaximum take-off; Max takeoff weight
Single sourceCruise; F/A-18C/D · Cruise speed
Single sourceMaximum; F/A-18C/D · at sea level
Single sourceMaximum; F/A-18C/D · Mach 1.8 at 40,000 ft (12,192 m) altitude Mach 1.06
Single sourceMach 1.8, 1,034 kn (1,190 mph; 1,915 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,192 m) altitude Mach 1.06, 700 kn (806 mph; 1,296 km/h) at sea level[source]
480 kn (550 mph, 890 km/h)[source]
Maximum; Maximum speed
Single source2,120 km/h (1,320 mph, 1,140 kn)[source]
F/A-18C/D · clean with two AIM-9s
Single sourceFerry; F/A-18C/D · with three external tanks
Single source1,089 nmi (1,253 mi, 2,017 km) clean with two AIM-9s[source]
1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km) with three external tanks[source]
Ferry; Ferry range
Single sourceRange
Single source3,000 km (1,900 mi, 1,600 nmi)
F/A-18C/D · air-to-air mission
Single source400 nmi (460 mi, 740 km) air-to-air mission[source]
F/A-18C/D · 2 × General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofan engines thrust each dry
Single sourceF/A-18C/D · with afterburner
Single source2 × General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofan engines, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust each dry, 17,750 lbf (79.0 kN) with afterburner[source]
2 × Shenyang WS-10B afterburning turbofans with afterburner
Single source2 × Shenyang WS-10B afterburning turbofans , 135 kN (30,000 lbf) with afterburner[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Primary users | United States Navy (historical) United States Marine Corps Finnish Air Force Spanish Air and Space Force[source] | — |
|---|
| Number built | F/A-18A/B/C/D: 1,480[source] | ~ 470 - ~ 500 (As of 2026 )[source] |
|---|
| Manufactured | 1974–2000[source] | 2017–present[source] |
|---|
| Introduction date | 7 January 1983 (USMC) 1 July 1984 (USN)[source] | 2015–16[source] |
|---|
| First flight | 18 November 1978 ( 1978-11-18 )[source] | — |
|---|
| Retired | 2019 (Hornet, USN) 2021 (RAAF)[source] | — |
|---|
| Developed from | Northrop YF-17[source] | Shenyang J-11 Su-30MKK[source] |
|---|
| Variants | McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet High Alpha Research Vehicle[source] | — |
|---|
| Developed into | Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Boeing X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing[source] | — |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | 10,860 pounds (4,930 kg) internally[source] | — |
|---|
| Guns | 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan nose mounted 6-barrel rotary cannon , 578 rounds[source] | — |
|---|
| Aspect ratio | — |
|---|
| Airfoil | root: NACA 65A005 mod. ; tip: NACA 65A003.5 mod.[source] | — |
|---|
| Wing loading | 93 lb/sq ft (450 kg/m 2 )[source] | — |
|---|
| Thrust/weight | 0.96 (1.13 with loaded weight at 50% internal fuel)[source] | — |
|---|
| Rockets | 2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 rockets 5 in (127.0 mm) Zuni rockets 2.75 in (70 mm) APKWS rockets[source] | — |
|---|
| Missiles | Air-to-air missiles : 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder on wingtips and 8 × AIM-9 Sidewinder (with double-racks) or 4 × AIM-132 ASRAAM or 4 × IRIS-T (EF-18A/B) or 8 × AIM-120 AMRAAM (with double-racks) and 2× AIM-7 Sparrow or 2 × AIM-120 AMRAAM Air-to-surface missiles : 4 × AGM-65 Maverick AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation missile (ARM) 4 × AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile Anti-ship missile : AGM-84 Harpoon[source] | — |
|---|
| Bombs | B43 nuclear bomb (retired) B61 nuclear bomb Joint Direct Attack Munition JDAM precision-guided munition (PGMs) Paveway series of laser-guided bombs Mk 80 series of unguided bombs CBU-78 Gator CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon Mk 20 Rockeye II Mk 77 Incendiary bomb[source] | — |
|---|
| Other | ADM-141 TALD SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod up to 3 × 330 US gallons (270 imp gal; 1,200 L) Sargent Fletcher FPU-8/A drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time.[source] | — |
|---|
| Hardpoints | 9 total: 2 × missile launch rails on wingtips, 4 × under wing, and 3 × under fuselage with a capacity of 13,700 lb (6,200 kg) external fuel and ordnance, with provisions to carry combinations of:[source] | Munitions on 12 external hardpoints, including:[source] |
|---|
| Role | — | Multirole strike fighter[source] |
|---|
| Primary user | — | People's Liberation Army Air Force[source] |
|---|
| g limits | — | +9[source] |
|---|
4,000 km (2,500 mi, 2,200 nmi)[source]