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#REDIRECT ] |
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The '''F-18 Hornet''' is the ] variant of the ] ] multi-role attack and ]. It lacks certain avionics, target acquisition and weapon control features, limiting its capability to engage surface targets. The variant is also used by the ]. |
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The decision to purchase the aircraft (64 in total, with 7 two-seat '''F-18D''' models and 57 single-seated '''F-18C''' models) was made in ], soon after the ] ]. The original plan was to buy about 40 western fighters and about 20 Soviet fighters due to political reasons, but the collapse of the Soviet Union removed the political reason to also buy Soviet aircraft. The plan changed to 60 single-seat + 7 dual seat fighters of the same type, and the F-18 won the contest. Due to the F-18's high price, the number of fighters to be purchased was decreased by three, to 57+7. |
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A key goal in the ] of that era was to take no action that might be interpreted by the Soviets as a security threat; a weapons purchase of this magnitude certainly applied. Buying only ]-compatible, ] fighter jets was not possible for ] before the U.S.S.R.'s collapse. |
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The primary reason for the lack of ground attack features in the aircraft is the semantic meaning of the word "attack". For example, Finland has ''Defence Forces'', not an ] — even the possibility of Finland ever attacking its neighbors is denied on all levels. This made the policy decision to purchase ''attack aircraft'' impossible in the nineties aftermath of ], leading to factory reconfiguration of the F/A-18 to the F-18 variant. A similar rationale also led the Swiss Air Force to purchase 34 F-18s in ]. |
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It is widely believed that the removed features can be reinstalled with comparative ease if a regional conflict or a similar need so dictates. |
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== External links == |
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