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F/A-18, U.S. twin-engine multirole fighter derived from the Northrop YF-17. Developed by McDonnell Douglas as the F/A-18 Hornet (the F/A designation refers to “fighter” and “attack”), it is a carrier-based aircraft designed for ground attack, but it also possesses excellent air-to-air capability. It entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1983 and the U.S. Navy the following year. The Northrop YF-17 was the losing candidate in the U.S. Air Force’s Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program...