The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) and Northrop (now part of Northrop Grumman), the F/A-18 was derived from the last YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet also used by the air forces of several other countries, and previously, by the US Naval Aviation Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. The F/A-18 is designed to be a highly versatile aircraft due to its excellent avionics, cockpit appearance and aerodynamic characteristics, with the ability to carry a wide variety of weapons. It can perform fighter escort , fleet air defense , suppression of enemy air defenses , air interdiction , close air support , and aerial reconnaissance . Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrying asset, although it has been criticized for its lack of range and payload compared to previous contemporaries, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in combat and combat roles, and the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II in combat and combat roles. attack. The Hornet first saw combat action during the 1986 United States bombing of Libya and later participated in the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War . The F/A-18 Hornet served as the basis for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, its larger evolutionary redesign.