6. F/A-18 HORNET The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (F/A designation for Fighter/Attack). Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations. The U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels has used the Hornet since 1986. The F/A-18 has a top speed of Mach 1.8 (1,190 mph or 1,915 km/h at 40,000 ft or 12,190 m). It can carry a wide variety of bombs and missiles, including air-to-air and air-to-ground, supplemented by the 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon. It is powered by two General Electric F404 turbofan engines, which give the aircraft a high thrust-to-weight ratio. The F/A-18 has excellent aerodynamic characteristics, primarily attributed to its leading edge extensions (LEX). The fighter's primary missions are fighter escort, fleet air defense, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), air interdiction, close air support and aerial reconnaissance. Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset, though it has been criticized for its lack of range and payload compared to its earlier contemporaries, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the fighter and strike fighter role, and the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II in the attack role. The Hornet saw its first combat action in 1986 during Operation El Dorado Canyon and subsequently participated in 1991 Operation Desert Storm and 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom. The F/A-18 Hornet provided the baseline design for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a larger, evolutionary redesign of the F/A-18. A KC-135 Stratotanker from the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing prepares to refuel Navy F/A-18 Hornets over Wake Island during an escort mission from Japan to the
Amerika Serikat akhirnya tidak bisa menahan hasrat perangnya setelah sejumlah negara koalisi pimpinan Arab Saudi menggempur Yaman. Terbukti, Angkatan Udara Amerika telah mengirimkan jet-jet tempur mereka untuk bergabung dalam serangan untuk melawan kelompok Houthi tersebut.
Sumber militer Yaman mengatakan kepada Sputnik, pesawat tempur Angkatan Laut AS mengambil bagian dalam serangan udara terhadap posisi pemberontak Houthi ‘di ibukota Yaman Sanaa, pada Senin 31 Maret 2015. Selain itu kapal mereka juga berpartisipasi meluncurkan rudal jelajah.
“Kapal Amerika berpartisipasi dalam serangan udara kemarin di Sanaa, mereka meluncurkan rudal jelajah,” kata sumber itu Selasa 01 April 2015.
Menurut dia, serangan udara AS dimulai setelah koalisi yang dipimpin Arab Saudi tidak berhasil memukul depot senjata Houthi.
Pada hari Senin, jet koalisi Saudi yang dipimpin dikabarkan menargetkan situs rudal milik Houthi di lingkungan Sanaa selatan Faj Attan, saksi ledakan amunisi kepada Sputnik.
Yaman saat ini merupakan ajang bentrokan antara kelompok Houthi, kekuatan oposisi utama negara itu, dan pasukan yang setia kepada presiden incumbent, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi, yang telah melarikan diri dari negara itu di tengah permusuhan.
Pada tanggal 25 Maret, koalisi sepuluh negara yang dipimpin oleh Arab Saudi mulai menembakkan udara-ke-darat rudal pada posisi Houthi setelah banding Hadi bantuan.
Operasi militer bertujuan untuk mengalahkan Houthi, yang mendukung mantan presiden-Yaman Ali Abdullah Saleh, dan mengembalikan pemerintahan presiden terguling Hadi.
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