The focus on Canada's fighting planes has never been sharper. While six CF-18 Hornets pound ground forces in Iraq, four others patrol the skies over the Baltic states that border an increasingly hostile Russia.
Canada's versatile fighting jets are the tip of the military's spear and its most lethal resource. They've served Canada on the front lines of conflicts for more than 30 years and have gone through upgrade programs intended on keeping them active for another 10.
In this interactive, go deep inside one CF-18 Hornet's history and specifications and discover what makes these machines tick.
A closer look at one of Canada’s CF-18s: CF188-756
Date delivered:
Jan. 8, 1986
Current location:
On patrol in Lithuania
War zones:
Iraq, 1991; Kosovo, 1999
Hours flown:
5,747
Top grossing domestic film:
Top Gun
No. 1 album in January:
Afterburner (ZZ Top)
Biggest news event:
Challenger explosion
Date
delivered:
Jan. 8, 1986
Current
location:
Patrol in Lithuania
War
zones:
Iraq, 1991; Kosovo, 1999
Hours
flown:
5,747
Top grossing domestic film:
Top Gun
No. 1 album in January:
Afterburner (ZZ Top)
Biggest news event:
Challenger explosion
CF188-756's operations and postings
1990 – Stationed at CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany, with 439 Squadron
1991 – Deployed to Qatar as part of the first Gulf War.
1999 – Deployed to Aviano, Italy, for NATO’s air campaign against the former republic of Yugoslavia.
2000 to 2004 – Stationed with 425 Squadron at 3 Wing in Bagotville, Que.
2005 – Posted with the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at 4 Wing in Cold Lake, Alta.
2006 to 2009 – Returned to 425 Squadron at 3 Wing, Bagotville.
2009 – Briefly with the Air Maintenance Squadron within 3 Wing.
2013 – Participated in a NATO operation that monitors Iceland’s airspace.
2014 – Deployed to Romania and then Lithuania to patrol NATO airspace in the wake of rising tensions with Russia over its annexation of Crimea and involvement in Eastern Ukraine.
LENGTH
WEIGHT
10,455 kg
WINGSPAN
12.31m
17.07m
HEIGHT
4.66m
SPECIFICATIONS
WEIGHT
10,455 kg
WINGSPAN
12.31m
17.07m
4.66m
SPECIFICATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS
POWER
Two General Electric F404 low bypass turbofan engines
STANDARD THRUST
4,850kg
AFTERBURNER
7,290kg
MAXIMUM SPEED
Mach 1.8 (1,911 km/h at 40,000 feet)
SERVICE CEILING
15,000m
RANGE (unarmed)
3,700km
SPECIFICATIONS
POWER
Two General Electric F404 low bypass turbofan engines
THRUST
4,850kg
MAX SPEED
Mach 1.8 (1,911 km/h at 40,000 feet)
RANGE (unarmed)
3,700km
HOW A CF-18 DIFFERS FROM AN AMERICAN F/A-18
FALSE CANOPY
A spoof canopy, painted on the underside of the front fuselage, is intended to confuse opponents during air-to-air combat
LIGHT
A powerful search light added for nighttime visual identifications
HOW A CF-18 DIFFERS FROM AN AMERICAN F/A-18
A "spoof" canopy to confuse opponents during air-to-air combat
A search light for nighttime identifications
UPGRADES
Phase I: Completed in 2006
Phase II: 2006 - 2010
UPGRADES
Phase I: Completed in 2006
Phase II: 2006 - 2010
RADIOS
Better VHF/UHF radios added that are more resistant to jamming and resolved issues of compatibility with allied forces.
SENSORS
AN/APX-111 combined interrogator and transponder to identify and target enemy aircraft.
RADAR
Faster processing and terrain following and terrain avoidance modes.
ARMAMENT
Advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AIM-120 AMRAAM) provides “fire-and-forget capability.
HIGH-TECH HELMETS
New night-vision helmet with enhanced sighting system enables a pilot to visually direct short-range air-to-air missiles.
BLACK BOX
Crash-survivable flight data recorder added.
COCKPIT
Monochrome cathode-ray tube monitors replaced with flat-panel colour LCD display.
