Entering service bomber escorted by a CF-18A Hornet in 1987. The first two CF-18s were formally handed over to 410 (Operational Training Unit) Squadron at
CFB Cold Lake, Alberta on 25 October 1982. Further deliveries equipped 409, 439, and 421 Squadrons at
Baden-Soellingen in then West Germany, the 410 Operation Training Unit,
No. 416, and
No. 441 Squadrons at Cold Lake, and 425 and 433 Escadrons (Squadrons) at
CFB Bagotville, Quebec. Introduction into Canadian service was initially problematic due to early issues with structural fatigue which delayed initial deployment. As the initial bugs were worked out, the CF-18 started filling the NORAD interception and NATO roles as intended.
Combat . A CF-18A is visible in the background. In 1991, Canada committed 26 CF-18s to the Gulf War on
Operation Friction. The CF-18s were based in
Doha, Qatar. During the Gulf War, Canadian pilots flew more than 5,700 hours, including 2,700 combat air patrol missions. These aircraft were taken from Canada's airbase in Germany,
CFB Baden-Soellingen. In the beginning the CF-18s began sweep-and-escort combat missions to support ground-attack strikes by Allied air forces. During the 100-hour Allied ground invasion in late February, CF-18s also flew 56 bombing sorties, mainly dropping non-guided ("dumb") bombs on Iraqi artillery positions, supply dumps, and marshaling areas behind the lines. At the time the Canadian Hornets were unable to deploy precision guided munitions. This was the first time since the
Korean War that the Canadian military had participated in combat operations. Continuing violence in the former
Yugoslavia brought CF-18s into theatre twice: first for a deployment (
Operation Mirador) during August–November 1997 for air patrols supporting
NATO peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and again from late June 1998 until late December 2000 (
Operation Echo). From March to June 1999, with 18 CF-18s already deployed to
Aviano, Italy, Canada participated in both the air-to-ground and air-to-air roles. Canadian aircraft conducted 10 percent of the NATO strike sorties despite deploying a much smaller percentage of the overall forces. Canadian pilots flew 678 combat sorties: 120 defensive counter-air escorts for Allied strike packages and 558 bombing strikes during 2,577 combat flying hours. CF-18s dropped a total of 397 PGMs and 171 non-guided bombs on a wide variety of targets including surface-to-air missile sites, airfields, bridges and fuel storage areas. , Italy, after contributing 2,600 combat flying hours in support of NATO Operation Allied Force. Since 2001, CF-18s have responded to nearly 3,000 possible threats to
Canada and the
United States. A task group of CF-18s and
CH-146 Griffons were deployed during "Operation Grizzly" to
Kananaskis, Alberta in June 2002 where they were deployed to secure the airspace during the
28th G8 summit. In 2007, an unknown number of CF-18s were deployed to
Alaska. They were deployed during two weeks to defend United States airspace as a result of the primary USAF
F-15 fighter jet fleet being grounded due to structural defects. They were also deployed during "Operation Podium" to secure the
2010 Winter Olympics and
2010 Winter Paralympics games. After a United Nations Security Council resolution was adopted to enforce a
Libyan no-fly zone, the Government of Canada on 18 March 2011, authorized the deployment of six CF-18 Hornets with one Hornet in reserve as part of
Operation Mobile. The Hornets were based at
Trapani-Birgi Italian Air Force base in western
Sicily. CF-18s were first put into combat on 23 March 2011 when four aircraft bombed Libyan government targets. The seven Hornets returned to
CFB Bagotville, Canada, on 4 November 2011 after the end of the UN-approved NATO mission. In total, the Hornets conducted 946 sorties, making up 10% of NATO strike sorties. Over the course of their sorties, 696 bombs were dropped including
Laser-guided bombs and
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). The RCAF has dropped 495 of the 227 kg versions (500 lbs) and 188 of the 910 kg versions (2,000 lbs)
Paveway II bombs. The RCAF also dropped 11 Joint Direct Attack Munitions of the 227 kg versions and two 910 kg versions. in Iraq, 2017. Canada sent six CF-18s to Iraq as part of
Operation Impact on 21 October 2014. Air strikes on ISIS/ISIL positions began on 2 November 2014. The CF-18s flew air strike missions until 15 February 2016.
Replacement Various fighter aircraft have been considered by the
Canadian Forces as CF-18 replacements, with the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II,
Eurofighter Typhoon,
Saab JAS 39 Gripen,
Dassault Rafale, and the
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet having been promoted as contenders by their manufacturers. According to
Le Devoir, project costs without considering maintenance, training and spare parts, were estimated at $4 to $8 billion. Boeing indicated that the Super Hornet, a derivative of the Hornet, was a less expensive alternative at an estimated total cost of $4 billion. One of the manufacturers in contention, Boeing, BAE Systems or
Saab Aerospace—the name was not disclosed—had promised to assemble the entire aircraft in Canada. In July 2010, Canada announced that the F-35 would replace the CF-18. Canada has been a partner in the
Joint Strike Fighter program since 1997, and a Tier 3 partner since 2002. The Canadian Forces planned to buy 65 F-35s with deliveries starting in 2016; the contract was estimated to be worth C$9 billion, including aircraft and associated weapons, infrastructure, initial spares, training simulators, contingency funds and project operating costs. In December 2012, it was announced that the government had abandoned the F-35 deal due to escalating cost, and was beginning a new procurement process, with the F-35 still being considered. On 20 September 2015, Canadian Liberal Party leader
Justin Trudeau promised to cancel the country's F-35 procurement if he were elected, instead replacing the CF-18 fleet with a less costly alternative, and argued that the F-35 was not needed. He
was sworn in as Prime Minister on 4 November 2015. In May 2017, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced that Canada would purchase more than the 65 jets proposed by the previous government. He stated that if Canada is to meet its NATO and NORAD commitments while also maintaining its own national air defence, "then 65 jets would not be a full fleet. It would only be a fleet for risk managing our requirements, not meeting them." On 2 June 2017, it was announced that Canada would be acquiring 88 advanced multi-role fighters. As an interim measure pending replacement, Canada decided in December 2017 to purchase 18
F/A-18A/B Hornets (a mix of flyable airframes and spares) from the
Royal Australian Air Force for approximately C$90 million. It was later announced in an
Australian Senate hearing that Canada planned to purchase another seven Hornets to be disassembled for spare parts. The first two fighters arrived in February 2019, with the rest to be delivered over the next three years. On 28 March 2022, Canada announced that advanced negotiations with
Lockheed Martin for 88 F-35s would begin. The F-35 is the top bid for the
Future Fighter Capability Project while
Saab's proposal for the Gripen came in second. The Canadian government noted that the Gripen may be chosen if negotiations with Lockheed Martin stall. This decision was to ensure a reasonable price for the aircraft. If negotiations succeed and Canada agrees a contract with Lockheed Martin, deliveries should begin in 2026, with final delivery in 2032. The complete program cost, including sustainment and maintenance, is estimated to be up to C$19 billion. In December 2022, the Canadian government approved $7 billion to procure a first batch of 16 F-35As and related equipment and support. ==Variants==