With the F/A-18, called Hornet, the US Navy is well-equipped. It carries a 20 mm cannon and is capable of carrying an external load of up to 7,7 tons of missiles and bombs. Two engines rated at 71 kN thrust accelerate the aircraft up to mach 1,8 and to a ceiling of 15 kilometers. The “Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102” is based in Atsugi, Japan, and currently deployed on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, which operates from the Pacific base Guam.