An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Royal Maces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 is on the flight deck of the U.S Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the ship departs Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, after a four-day port visit.
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
The Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet and related twin-seat F/A-18F are a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft variant based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons.
Designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, June 24, 2014; Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Riggs