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Into the Hornets’ nest: why these old jets make sense for Ukraine

The RAAF’s retired fleet of F/A-18s may be old but the classic Hornet can be used for both dogfighting and launching air strikes.

Andrew Tillett
Andrew TillettForeign affairs, defence correspondent
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While the Ukrainian government mounts a social media campaign to get Australian tanks and Hawkei four-wheel-drive vehicles, a much greater prize now looms on the horizon: the RAAF’s retired fleet of F/A-18 warplanes.

Known as the classic Hornet (the RAAF continues to operate the bigger two-person crewed Super Hornet), the F/A-18 was renowned for its versatility.

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Andrew Tillett writes on politics, foreign affairs, defence and security from the Canberra press gallery. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter. Email Andrew at andrew.tillett@afr.com
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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/into-the-hornets-nest-why-these-old-jets-make-sense-for-ukraine-20230602-p5ddcf