(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Navy F/A-18s were initially built to fly for roughly 6,000 hours, yet much of the fleet has wound up hitting or at least preparing for 10,000 hours due to the service’s multi-year Service Life Extension Program.
The effort was successful, as it propelled the 1980s-era jet well into the 2020s with a host of upgrades, adaptations, technological improvements and sustainment efforts.
There has in recent years regularly been a Navy demand for more F/A-18s, which has often gone unmet due to fleet size constraints. Nonetheless, the aircraft’s frames have been reinforced and maintained, its avionics have been thoroughly revamped and replaced, new weapons and weapons guidance systems have been added, conformal fuel tanks have extended range and new, high-tech infrared search and track sensors have improved precision targeting and hardened the aircraft for an EW combat environment.
The aircraft has performed admirably for many years, and has even relied upon advanced sensors and communications technology to function as a surveillance and targeting node against ISIS.
