F/A-18 ayaa markii ugu horreysay dagaal ku galay bishii Abriil 1986, markii VFA-131, VFA-132, VMFA-314, iyo VMFA-323 Hornets ay ka duuleen howlgallada Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) ee ka dhanka ah difaaca hawada ee Liibiya intii lagu jiray Howlgalka Prairie Fire
iyo weerar lagu qaaday Benghazi oo qeyb ka ah howlgalka El Dorado Canyon. Intii lagu jiray Dagaalkii Khaliijka ee 1991, Ciidanka Badda ayaa soo diray 106 F/A-18A/C Hornets iyo Ciidanka Badda oo soo diray 84 F/A-18A/C/D Hornets. Duuliyeyaasha F/A-18 ayaa lagu tiriyay laba dil intii lagu jiray Dagaalkii Khaliijka, labaduba MiG-21s. 17-kii Janaayo, maalintii ugu horreysay ee dagaalka, duuliyeyaasha ciidamada badda ee Mareykanka Taliye Mark I. Fox iyo, Lieutenant Nick Mongilio waxay ku jireen duulimaad afar Hornets ah markii laga soo diray Badda Cas si ay u duqeeyaan garoonka diyaaradaha H-3 ee koonfurta-galbeed ee Ciraaq. Intii ay jidka ku jireen, waxaa uga digay E-2C soo dhowaanshaha "Dambiilayaasha" ama diyaaradda Iran ee MiG-21. The Hornets waxay ku toogteen labada MiG gantaalada AIM-7 iyo AIM-9 dagaal gaaban oo gaagaaban. Waxay qaadatay 40 ilbiriqsi laga soo bilaabo markii burcaddu ay ka muuqdeen raadaarka E-2 ilaa labada diyaaradood la soo riday. Diyaaradaha F/A-18, oo mid walba wata afar bambaano, ayaa dib u bilaabay duqeyntii ka hor inta aysan ku laaban "Saratoga".