F-18 Hornet Fighter Jet

Full Specifications

Spanish F-18 Hornet: EF-18M Fighter Jet

The Spanish F-18, officially designated EF-18 Hornet and later upgraded to the EF-18M, is a multirole fighter operated by the Spanish Air and Space Force. Based on the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/B Hornet, the aircraft was selected by Spain under the FACA program in 1983 and entered Spanish service in 1986. Spain originally acquired 72 aircraft, including 60 single-seat and 12 two-seat variants.

Manufacturer and Purpose

The original aircraft was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in the United States, with Spanish aerospace industry participation and later modernization work. The EF-18 was developed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Spain’s aircraft received upgrades that improved avionics, communications, mission computers, electronic warfare capabilities, and weapons integration. The Spanish Air and Space Force identifies the aircraft as the C.15, with modernized aircraft designated C.15M.

Speed, Range and Armament

The Spanish F-18 has a maximum speed of approximately Mach 1.8, a service ceiling of about 50,000 feet, and a published range of roughly 780 km, with ferry range reaching about 3,700 km. It uses two General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan engines.

Its weapons suite includes the M61 20 mm Vulcan cannon, AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-ground weapons including AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, precision-guided bombs, and Taurus cruise missiles on appropriately configured aircraft.

The aircraft remains relevant to NATO air policing. On August 16, 2026, a Spanish F-18 operating from Romania under NATO’s air-policing mission shot down a drone that had entered Romanian airspace.

Cost and Price

There is no meaningful current production price because the original Hornet is no longer in production. Spain’s 1983 purchase of 72 F/A-18A aircraft was valued at approximately $2.5 billion in contemporary reporting.

Spanish F-18 Variants