The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, has received first Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft.
On Tuesday, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron press release said that the first F/A-18E Super Hornet for the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (USNFDS) “Blue Angels” arrived at home base NAS Pensacola (FL).
The Blue Angels are slated to transition to the F/A-18 Super Hornet later this year after using the F/A-18 Hornet for 34 years.
The Blue Angels have operated Boeing F/A-18A, C, B, and D models for 30 years – far longer than they have flown any other aircraft type. The new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft is 25 percent larger and has 40 percent more range than the F/A-18C/D, making the aircraft substantially larger than its predecessors.
The Super Hornet comes in the single-seat F/A-18E and the tandem-seat F/A-18F.
The Super Hornet has the capability, flexibility and performance necessary to modernize the air or naval aviation forces of any country. It is able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions.