Built by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, the Hornet is a lightweight multi-mission fighter equally capable of carrying out both fighter and attack missions, hence its designation "F/A". It was intended as a combination replacement for the F-4 and the A-7, and a low-cost alternative to the F-14 and A-6. The Hornet boasts an excellent reliability and maintenance record, being (statistically) the safest tactical carrier aircraft ever. It has advanced avionics including the Hughes APG-65 multimode radar (for both air and ground attack) with Doppler beam sharpening. Canada and Australia selected the Hornet as a new front-line fighter over the F-16 probably due to its greater all-round capability and larger radar. Operational with the US Navy since 1982, the Hornet has in fact turned out to be more expensive than the F-14. 1377 aircraft are planned for the Navy and Marine Corps. The 'C' model is in current production.
