McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet (official military designation CF-188) is a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) variant of the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New Fighter Aircraft Project competition and awarded a production order; deliveries of the CF-18 to the Canadian Armed Forces began in 1982. CF-18s have supported North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty patrols and participated in combat during the Gulf War in 1991, the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, and as part of the Canadian contribution to the international Libyan no-fly zone in 2011. CF-18s were also part of the Canadian contribution to the military intervention against ISIL, Operation Impact.
| CF-18 Hornet | |
|---|---|
| An RCAF CF-18A performs during Canadian Armed Forces Day 2014 | |
| Role | Multirole fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas (some assembled by Government Aircraft Factories) |
| First flight | 28 July 1982 |
| Introduction | 25 October 1982 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Produced | 1982–1988 |
| Number built | 138 |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet |