Milestones
May 2, 1975 - The U.S. Navy selects McDonnell Douglas Corporation as the prime contractor for development of the F-18 strike fighter.
Sept. 13, 1978 - The U.S. Navy's F-18 Hornet makes its public debut during rollout ceremonies in St. Louis, Mo.
Nov. 18, 1978 - The F-18A Hornet makes its first flight, taking off from Lambert International Airport with McDonnell Aircraft chief test pilot Jack Krings at the controls.
Jan. 16, 1979 - The first F-18 is flown to the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Md., for continued flight testing.
Nov. 3, 1979 - the F-18 completes its first sea trials after the third Hornet makes 32 successful launches and landings aboard the aircraft carrier USS America.
December 1979 - The first F-18B makes its maiden flight.
April 1980 - The first production F-18, Hornet number 12, is delivered to the U.S. Navy.
Oct. 25, 1982 - Canada becomes the first international customer when the first CF-18 Hornet is delivered to the Canadian Forces Air Command.
December 1982 - The U.S. Navy officially redesignates the Hornet the F/A-18 to emphasize its dual role capabilities as both an air-to-air and air-to-ground tactical aircraft.
Jan. 7, 1983 - The F/A-18 Hornet officially enters U.S. operational service with U.S. Marine Corps squadron VMFA-314 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Ca.
October 1983 - The first Hornet is delivered to a U.S. Navy operational squadron.
Oct. 29, 1984 - The first F/A-18 Hornet is delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force.
Nov. 22, 1985 - The first EF-18 for the Spanish Air Force is delivered.
March 10, 1986 - The U.S. Navy selects the F/A-18 Hornet as the official aircraft of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team.
November 1986 - The first F/A-18 Hornet squadron arrives in Japan to prepare for deployment aboard USS Midway.
February 1987 - The 100th Canadian CF-18 is delivered.
April 1987 - The 500th Hornet is delivered.
September 1987 - First delivery of an F/A-18C/D.
Sept. 3, 1987 - The F/A-18C makes its first flight.
Jan. 22, 1988 - The 380th and final F/A-18A for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps is delivered, accepted by VMFA-312.
May 6, 1988 - The F/A-18D makes its first flight.
Oct. 3, 1988 - Switzerland's Federal Military Department announces plans to purchase 34 Hornets, armament, spares and support, a contract worth an estimated $1.9 billion.
Nov. 14, 1989 - The first production night attack F/A-18 Hornet is delivered to Patuxent River, Md.
April 10, 1990 - The F/A-18 Hornet fleet surpasses one million flight hours.
May 11, 1990 - The U.S. Marine Corps rolls out the night attack F/A-18D at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Ca.
Jan. 17, 1991 - During Operation Desert Storm, U.S. Navy pilots Lt. Nick Mongilio and Lt. Cmdr. Mark Fox become the first pilots to register air-to-air kills while still completing their original air-to-ground mission. While going out from USS Saratoga in the Red Sea to bomb an airfield in southwestern Iraq, an E-2 warns them of approaching MiG-21 aircraft. The Hornets shoot down two MiGs and resume their bombing run before returning to Saratoga.
April 18, 1991 - The 1,000th F/A-18 Hornet is delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps.
Oct. 8, 1991 - The first Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 Hornet is delivered.
May 6, 1992 - Finland's Ministry of Defense approves the purchase of 64 Hornets, a program worth approximately $3 billion.
Feb. 10, 1993 - An F/A-18 Hornet becomes the 10,000th jet aircraft built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis when it is delivered to the U.S. Navy.
June 7, 1995 - The first F-18 Hornet for the Finnish Air Force is delivered.
Jan. 25, 1996 - The first F/A-18 Hornet for the Swiss Air Force is delivered.
December 12, 2002 - The F/A-18 Hornet fleet surpasses five million flight hours.
August 2000 - The final delivery of an F/A-18, an F/A-18D Hornet, is delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps.
May 25, 2005 - The F/A-18 Hornet lands on the French carrier De Gaulle for the first time, during joint exercises which were part of Multi-National Maritime Exercise (MNME) 05-1.
last updated 7/29/05.