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Fighters occupy a central role in airspace control. In the 1990s, the trend has been towards multi-purpose fighters that can undertake a variety of combat duties.
The interceptor fighters used by the Finnish Air Force for over 20 years, the Saab 35 Draken and the MiG-21BIS, reached the end of their service at the turn of the millennium. Seventy Drakens and MiGs were acquired in the 1970s. Modern Hornet fighters brought Finland's air defence to a new era in the
beginning of the 21st century.
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The Hornet needs only about 600 m of runway for takeoff in its normal combat configuration without extra tanks.
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Interceptor fighter
Use
Properties (F-18C Hornet)
- single-seat jet fighter
- two 7,983 kp bypass jet engines
- maximum speed 1,300 km/h at low altitude and 1.8 Mach at high altitude
- maximum range with extra fuel tanks at high altitude 3,700 km
- maximum altitude 15 km
- empty weight 10,680 kg
- maximum takeoff weight 23,540 kg
- dimensions
- span 11.4 m
- length 17.1 m
- height 4.7 m
- wing area 37.2 m2
- cockpit
- head-up display
- three multi-purpose monitor displays
- avionics
- pulse Doppler multi-purpose radar
- inertia location system and GPS
- internal protection system
- radar alert
- radar jammer
- shred and flare dispenser
- weapons
- 20 mm aircraft cannon
- total of 12 radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles
- manufactured in the USA
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