The F/A-18E Super Hornet entered U.S. Navy service in 1999 as a larger, more capable evolution of the original F/A-18 Hornet. It serves as a multirole carrier-based fighter, performing air superiority, strike, reconnaissance, and close air support missions. The aircraft has become the backbone of Navy carrier air wings, participating in operations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and ongoing global deployments, valued for its range, payload, survivability, and advanced avionics.