SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 13, 2023) In this photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Calabrese, an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Kestrels of Strike Fighter Squadron 137 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during flight operations in the South China Sea. The F/A-18 Super Hornet is the newest highly capable, affordable, and available tactical aircraft and is the backbone in U.S. Navy inventory.

Manufactured by McDonnel Douglas and Boeing Defense, the F/A-18 is one of America’s most powerful weapons to achieve air superiority over an enemy. The combat-proven Super Hornet employs next-generation technology to launch day and night strikes with precision-guided weapons against maritime targets and to suppress enemy air defenses. The Super Hornet also provides close air support to troops on the ground and also acts as fighter escort to larger air groups. Able to reach speeds up to 1,190 miles per hour, the Super Hornet sports twin engines that cruise at 777 mph and this bird has a range of over 2,000 miles. Currently, there are 19 Pacific fleet squadrons flying the F/A-18.

The armament on these aircraft is impressive.

The F/A-18 has a Vulcan 20mm cannon for close-in combat and they can carry a wide range of missiles, including the AIM 9 Sidewinder and AIM 7 Sparrows, and the heavier bombs like the  AIM-120 AMRAAM, Harpoon, and Maverick missiles. The Hornet is also capable of launching Stand-Off Weapons (JSOW); Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM); various general-purpose bombs, mines, and rockets.

The Kestrels of Strike Fighter Squadron 137, named after the native North American Falcon, was established on 2 July 1985 and were the first squadron to receive the first lot of Hornets.  The Kestrels are land-based at Lemoore, California and their call sign is FALCON. They are currently assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet, the largest forward-deployed armada operating along with our allies to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.