When a CF-18 powers up, the thunderous engines shake the ground.

The twin engines of this supersonic tactical fighter jet deliver a total of 14,580 kg of thrust and speeds of up to Mach 1.8.

The Hornet’s primary roles include air defence, training, tactical support, and air superiority. It has supported missions in both NORAD and NATO. Other roles also include aerobatic demonstration and aerospace test and evaluation.

During the Gulf War, 24 CF-18s were sent to Qatar to participate in the American-led Desert Shield and Desert Storm campaigns. Canadian pilots flew more than 5,700 hours — about 2,700 combat air patrol missions — to protect Canadian naval forces in the Gulf.

The CF-18 can carry a Nitehawk pod that incorporates a forward-looking infra-red sensor that allows pilots to see targets at night. It also has a laser designator to guide precision bombing.

During OPERATION ALLIED FORCE, the 79-day NATO air campaign in former Yugoslavia from March to June of 1999, Canada committed 18 CF-18s to TASK FORCE AVIANO, flying from Aviano Air Base in northern Italy. CF-18s flew 678 sorties, in the air-to-ground and air-to-air roles using both precision guided munitions and unguided "iron" bombs. With much less than 10% of the aircraft committed to the campaign, Canadian aircraft conducted 10% of the NATO strike sorties during the campaign. At the end of the 79-day campaign, the government of Slobodan Milosevioc withdrew its forces from Kosovo, making OPERATION ALLIED FORCE the only conflict won by air power alone.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Canadian fighter force has been heavily committed to OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE, the NORAD internal air defence mission. Immediately following the attacks, armed CF-18 fighters on air sovereignty alert deployed across Canada to protect Canada and Canadians from threats originating within our own airspace, a task that continues.

FACTS AND FIGURES - CF-18 HORNET Aircraft Description The CF-18 is a multipurpose, high-performance twin-engine fighter that can equally well handle air-to-air (air defence, air superiority, combat air patrol, etc.) or ground-attack (close air support, battlefield air interdiction, etc.) roles, aided by on-board computer systems that can be quickly re-programmed to the mission at hand. (Note: The CF-18 is officially designated the “CF188” in Canadian use, although that identity is rarely employed except in the most official or technical documentation.) Minor differences in the Canadian version include a sidewards-aimed searchlight beneath the fuselage for nighttime visual identifications, survival equipment optimized for the Canadian environment, various cockpit-layout modifications, and a paint scheme incorporating a “spoof” canopy on the underside of the front fuselage (to hopefully momentarily confuse an opponent in the heat of a dogfight as to “which side is up”). Length 17 m (56 ft.) Wingspan Deployed: 11.4 m (37.5 ft.) Folded: 8 m (27.5 ft.) Height 3.2 m (10.5 ft.) Weight Empty: 10,615 kg (23,400 lbs.) Takeoff: 16,800 kg (37,000 lbs.) to 20,400 kg (45,000 lbs.) Engine 2 General Electric F404-400 low bypass turbofan engines Thrust Standard: 4,850 kg (10,700 lbs.) Afterburner: 7,290 kg (16,000lbs.) Speed Maximum: Mach 1.8 (1,034 knots, or 1,687 km/hr) Cruise: Mach 0.85 (532 knots, or 868 km/hr) Ceiling 15,240 m (50,000 ft.) Range 3,700 km (2,300 statute miles) - more with air-to-air refueling Armament a built-in multi-barrel M-61 20mm cannon, radar-guided (AIM-7 “Sparrow”) or infrared-homing (AIM-9 “Sidewinder”) air-to-air missiles, CRV-7 high-velocity rockets, AGM-65 “Maverick” infrared-homing missile, conventional bombs and precision-guided bombs Crew 1 pilot (CF-18A), 2 pilots (CF-18B) Year(s) procured 1982 to 1988 Quantity in CF 115 (81 operational) Location(s) 3 Wing Bagotville, Que. 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta.