Ukraine has submitted a formal request to obtain F/A-18 “Hornet” fighter jets from Finland, a proposal that Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday indicated she would be open to considering.
Should Ukraine receive Hornets, the jets would join Soviet-era MiG-29s that are expected to arrive soon.
This month, officials from Poland and Slovakia said their countries would provide Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with MiG-29 aircraft to help his forces battle the Russians, who launched an invasion on February 24, 2022. Even with the addition of MiG-29s, Zelensky has asked for more jets, including F-16 “Fighting Falcons” from the United States, which President Joe Biden has so far been hesitant to provide.
Meanwhile, Finland might soon be debating whether or not to donate Hornets to Ukraine. Although Marin might be open to hearing a proposal on a transfer, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said on Thursday that he doesn’t want his country to give up any Hornets.
If Ukraine’s request for Hornets is fulfilled, Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), said Zelensky’s forces would be receiving “solid, combat-proven” jets.
Hornets are American-made aircraft developed in the 1970s by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop. (Boeing has also produced a variation of the jet.) The fighters were formally introduced into the US military in the early 1980s.
McCardle told Newsweek that the Hornet is a “multi-mission tactical aircraft that acts as both a fighter and attack aircraft.” (The F/A in its name stands for “Fighter” and “Attack.”)
Fighters are meant for air-to-air combat, whereas attack aircraft “carry out airstrikes on ground targets with a higher level of precision than bombers and do it from lower altitudes,” according to McCardle, who added that attack aircraft also “often provide close air support (CAS) to troops on the ground.”
When asked to compare the fighter/attack jets to the other aircraft Ukraine is set to receive, McCardle said: “the Hornet and MiG-29 Fulcrum are fairly well-matched.”
“The MiG has a higher top speed at 1,519 mph,” he said but has less range before it needs refueling. “The Hornet boasts superior avionics.”
Fulcrums and Hornets are known for having high maneuverability, and the jets were developed at roughly the same time. However, F/A-18s have seen many upgrades over the years that have allowed the integration of newer technology like infrared sensor targeting systems and fuel tanks that allow for increased flying range, which might not be available on older-model MiG-29s.
McCardle also detailed how F/A-18s compare to F-16s. Although F-16s are faster, F/A-18s are capable of taking off from aircraft carriers, unlike Fighting Falcons.
He described another Hornet advantage: “The F-16 is a single-engine aircraft, and if that engine fails, the pilot will be forced to eject. The F/A-18 is a dual-engine aircraft and can survive and land safely if one engine is lost.”
McCardle described F/A-18s as impressive aircraft and noted that Hornets “proved themselves in combat in both the Gulf War and Iraq” for the US
Ukraine has submitted a formal request to obtain F/A-18 “Hornet” fighter jets from Finland, a proposal that Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday indicated she would be open to considering.
