The US-designed & built Mc Donnell Douglas FA-18 Hornet is one of the most important Fourth Generation fighters in the world Its twin-engine twin-tails (canted outwards) & leading edge root extensions make it one of the most recognisable fighters in operation The latest version is the enlarged Super Hornet It was controversial in being chosen as the replacement for the much loved F-14 Tomcat but the truth is that it is a potent & fearsome fighter that boasts one of the most capable radars in service (it can operate in both air & ground modes near-simultaneously) & a weapons loadout that takes full advantage of it The Super Hornet currently performs the bulk of the Western world&s airstrikes on the nefarious terrorist group &ISIS& in Iraq & Syria Developed initially by Northrop as the P-530 Cobra in response to the US Air Force&s Light Weight Fighter competition (winner the General Dynamics F-16) the Hornet had a troubled start in life Designated the YF-17 for the LWF fly-off in 1974 it failed to impress the Air Force However contractor Mc Donnell Douglas stepped in confident that it could be enhanced sufficiently to make it a contender for the US Navy&s new fighter competition Mc Air as was often the case were right Redesigned & redesignated the FA-18 (fighterattack) it won the competition & entered service with the US Navy as a carrier-borne multi-role fighter marking the beginning of the Hornet&s journey from Air Force &reject& to &king& of the US Navy&s Fleet Defenders