F/A-18A Hornet

A strike fighter equally adept at delivering ordnance against targets on the ground and engaging the enemy in air-to-air combat, the F/A-18 Hornet entered service in 1980.  Both Navy and Marine Corps aircraft figured prominently in Operation Desert Storm, where they delivered over 17,500 tons of ordnance and scored the Navy’s only MiG kills.  Hornets also provided vital air support in the skies over Afghanistan and Iraq supporting the Global War on Terror.  The Blue Angels flew their first show in the F/A-18 Hornet in 1987 and it is the longest-serving aircraft in their history.  The museum displays Hornets in tactical and Blue Angels markings.