F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

Carrier-based twin-engine multirole strike fighter and the U.S. Navy's primary fleet defense and strike platform, enlarged and re-engined from the legacy Hornet. Forms the baseline for the EA-18G Growler electronic-attack variant.

Max speed

1,915 km/h

Range

2,346 km

Payload

8,050 kg

💲 Approximate flyaway unit cost, recent U.S. Navy lots

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 1,915 km/h

8th pct in class
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 1.8 Mach

8th pct in class
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 2,346 km

0th pct in class
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 722 km

17th pct in class
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 15,000 m

0th pct in class
Rate of climb How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.: 228 m/s

0th pct in class
Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.: 0.93

8th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 11

50th pct in class
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 8,050 kg

42th pct in class

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: ALQ-214 integrated defensive countermeasures, chaff, flares, ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 18.31 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 13.62 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 4.88 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 14,552 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 29,937 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2x General Electric F414-GE-400 afterburning turbofans
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 98 kN

17th pct in class
Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume.: 6,060 L
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: AN/APG-79 AESA
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod, joint helmet-mounted cueing system
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: Link 16, CEC

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $66,900,000

55th pct in class
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 620

67th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 3

42th pct in class

Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has a maximum speed of 1,915 km/h.

What is the range of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has a maximum range of 2,346 km.

What is the weapons payload of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can carry up to 8,050 kg of weapons payload.

How much does the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet weigh? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has a combat weight of 29,937 kg.

How many crew does the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet require? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet requires a crew of 1.

What is the main armament of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon.

What engine does the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet use? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is powered by the 2x General Electric F414-GE-400 afterburning turbofans.

What is the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet used for? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, close air support, deep strike.

How many countries operate the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is operated by 3 countries.

How much does the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet cost? +

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has an approximate unit cost of 66,900,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.