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The two seat F/A-18Bs of 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) are primarily used for type conversion training. However the two seat Hornet retains full combat capability, with only fuel being removed to accommodate the second seat. (Defence PR)
Aircraft of the ADF — A21 MDC F/A-18 Hornet
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A21 – McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Australia reduced its shortlist to only two candidates for the Mirage replacement in November 1979. To fill the Tactical Fighter Force (TFF) requirement, the RAAF was to select between the General Dynamics (now Lockheed) F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. On October 20 1981, the Hornet was chosen as the RAAF’s next generation fighter.
The F/A-18 was a descendant of the Northrop YF-17, which had been the loser to the F-16 in the 1974 USAF Light Weight Fighter competition. On May 2 1975, the US Navy announced its selection of a McDonnell Douglas-Northrop YF-17 based design for its new fighter project, which became the F/A-18 Hornet. This multi-mission aircraft, with the unique “F/A” designation signifying both fighter and attack, resembled the YF-17, scaled up by about 12%. The YF-18 prototype first flew on November 18 1978.
The Australian Government contracted to buy 75 of the McDonnell Douglas fighters for the RAAF in November 1981. This order was for 57 single-seat F/A-18As (serialled A21-1 to A21-57) and 18 two-seat F/A-18Bs (A21-101 to A21-118). The Hornet gave the RAAF’s Tactical Fighter Group (TFG) several firsts, including a pulse doppler look-down radar with a shoot-down capability, an inertial navigation system, and a Head Up Display.
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The Australian Hornet programme was for the first two aircraft to be entirely built and assembled by McDonnell Douglas (McAir) at St Louis, with the remaining 73 to be assembled by the then Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) in Victoria.
The first RAAF Hornet, A21-101, made its first public appearance at the McAir plant at St Louis on October 29 1984. Two aircraft, A21-101 and A21-102, were then ferried in a nonstop trans-Pacific 15-hour flight on May 17 1985. The 6672nm (12,360km) record-breaking flight from the US Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, to RAAF Williamtown, made possible by inflight refuelling from USAF KC-10 Extender tankers, was led by the Commanding Officer of the RAAF’s No 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2 OCU), Wing Commander Brian Robinson.
However, these were not the first RAAF Hornets to arrive in Australia. A21-103 and A21-104 had been flown inside a USAF C-5 Galaxy from St Louis, arriving at Avalon, Victoria, on June 6 1984. These were in a knocked-down state for Australian assembly, and on November 16 A21-103 (c/n AFT 3) was rolled out by GAF at Avalon.
A21-103 made its first flight at Avalon on February 26 1985 in the hands of McAir test pilot Rudi Haug. On this flight, A21-103 reached a speed of Mach 1.6 at 40,000ft. This aircraft was accepted by the RAAF on April 30 1985 and delivered to No 2 OCU at Williamtown on May 17. The first 14 aircraft were all delivered to No 2 OCU to enable Hornet instructor training. No 2 OCU began the first RAAF Hornet conversion course at Williamtown on August 19 1985.
The first operational RAAF Hornet unit was No 3 Squadron. The first two aircraft, A21-8 and A21-9, were delivered to Williamtown on August 29 1986. These featured the Squadron’s Southern Cross marking on the fins. The next unit to re-equip was No 77 Squadron at Williamtown in May 1987, featuring its oriental lion marking.
The final RAAF Hornet unit was No 75 Squadron. This unit had relinquished its Mirages, the last operational in the RAAF, in September 1988 at Darwin. No 75 Squadron commenced operations at RAAF Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory, with Hornets in September 1988.
On December 15 1988, the last RAAF dual-seat Hornet, A21-118, was delivered. The last RAAF Hornet, single-seater A21-57, was handed over on May 12 1990.
During 1991, the RAAF commenced Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) pod operations with the Hornet. The F/A-18s had been modified through an avionics upgrade to bring the RAAF aircraft to near F/A-18C and D standard. The FLIR pod enables the pilot to navigate and acquire targets at night. The target can then be designated with a laser spot tracker for the guidance of laser-guided munitions, such as the GBU-10 (2000lb) and GBU-12 (500lb).
RAAF Hornets maintain a presence for the five-power Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) at Butterworth, Malaysia, and Singapore. The F/A-18 is planned to equip the TFG until the 2010-2015 period. If the Hornet can remain in frontline service until then, it will have served even longer than the 25 years of the Mirage.
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