Which Countries Have The Most F/A-18s In Their Military?

The F/A-18 Hornet is a highly recognizable fighter jet that's been in operation since 1978. In addition to the United States military flying this twin-engine fighter for combat missions, the Navy's flight demonstration team — the Blue Angels — has been performing for audiences worldwide with it since 1986. Filmmakers have also featured it in several movies such as 1996's "Independence Day" and 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick." It's a reliable jet that has undergone multiple upgrades throughout the years, ultimately evolving from the Hornet (A-D models) to the Super Hornet (E/F models) in 2000.

The Super Hornet can fly at speeds up to Mach 1.8, and carry a combination of air-to-air missiles and laser-guided bombs. It has a total of 11 hardpoints, up from the original Hornet's nine, allowing it carry quite a payload for a variety of missions. It might not have all the strengths of the F-22 Raptor, but it's still a highly sought after fighter from various countries. 

Naturally, being an American-made aircraft, America's military has a hefty number of them in their arsenal. Specially designed for aircraft carrier launches and landings, the Super Hornet has been a mainstay of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since its debut.

Australia was the first international customer for the Super Hornet, and a slew of other countries soon followed suit, adding to their already existing inventory of older-generation Hornets. The F/A-18 makes up six percent of all combat aircraft used around the world, according to Flight Global. 

There are a total of eight different countries that fly the F/A-18 Hornet for both combat and training operations. Some of them have more Hornets on order, while others are phasing them out in favor of fifth-generation aircrafts, but the Super Hornet is a widely used fighter jet. 

The country with the largest F/A-18 Hornet fleet is the United States. The Marine Corps might have phased out its Main Battle Tank battalions, but they still very much have access to air operations, with 140 combat-ready Hornets and 46 used for training purposes.

The U.S. Navy, on the other hand, takes the cake with 592 Hornets being used for front line combat and training — it also has another 76 models on order. Canada has the second most in operation, with a total of 65 F/A-18A models for combat and 25 F/A-18Bs for training. That's a total of 89 units; a staggering difference between the two nations in defense spending. Spain chose to replenish its fleet with the Hornet over the F-16 Fighting Falcon back in 1995, and has flown it ever since — they own 83 in all.

Kuwait's Air Force currently operates 27 F/A-18C Hornets for combat roles, with 32 F-18E Super Hornets on order. It also uses 15 F-18Ds and F-18Fs to train their pilots. Finland rounds out the top five countries with its 62 Hornets. The other three countries with a handful of Hornets and Super Hornets are Australia, Malaysia, and Switzerland.