Kammala jumla mai zuwa: F / A-18 ya fara aikin yaƙi a watan Afrilu 1986, lokacin da VFA-131, VFA-132, VMFA-314, da VMFA-323 Hornets daga jirgin sama suka tashi daga Tsayayyar Tsaron Tsaron Jirgin Sama (SEAD) a kan tsaron iska na Libya a lokacin
Operation Prairie Fire da kuma kai hari kan Benghazi a matsayin wani ɓangare na Operation El Dorado Canyon. A lokacin Yakin Gulf na 1991, Rundunar Sojojin Ruwa ta tura 106 F / A-18A / C Hornets da Marine Corps sun tura 84 F / A-18A / C / D Hornets. F / A-18 matukan jirgi an yaba da biyu kashe a lokacin Gulf War, duka biyu MiG-21s. A ranar 17 ga Janairu, ranar farko ta yakin, matukan jirgin ruwan Amurka Laftanar Kwamandan Mark I. Fox da, Laftanar Nick Mongilio suna cikin jirgin sama na Hornets hudu lokacin da aka tura su daga cikin Bahar Maliya don kai harin bam a filin jirgin sama na H-3 a kudu maso yammacin Iraqi. Yayin da suke kan hanya, wani E-2C ya gargadi su game da "Bandits" ko jirgin saman MiG-21 na Iran. Hornets sun harbe MIGs biyu tare da makamai masu linzami AIM-7 da AIM-9 a cikin ɗan gajeren yaƙi. Ya ɗauki 40 seconds daga lokacin da 'yan fashi suka bayyana a kan radar na E-2 har sai an harbe jiragen sama biyu. F / A-18s, kowannensu yana dauke da bama-bamai hudu, sa'an nan kuma ya ci gaba da fashewar bam din kafin ya koma "Saratoga".