The F/A-18E Super Hornet was the first of McDonnell Douglas’s (Boeing from 1997) Hornet upgrade concepts to be put into production after Boeing acquired the company in 1997. The first F/A-18E took to the skies for the first time in November 1995, and on January 15, 1999, it was officially accepted into service with VFA-122. The Raytheon APG-73 radar, which is already installed in later models of the F/A-18C, will serve as the focal point of the avionics upgrade. An ALQ-214 radio-frequency counter measures system, an ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy system, and an ALR-67(V)3 radio frequency (RWR) are the three primary components that make up the Integrated Defensive Electronic Counter Measures (IDECM) system.

The cockpit of the F/A-18E is very similar to the cockpit of the F/A-18C, with the exception of the installation of a larger flat-panel display in place of the three head-down displays that are currently in use. The enlarged airframe incorporates measures to reduce radar cross section and includes a fuselage that is 0.86 meters longer, an enlarged wing that is characterized by a thicker section and two more hardpoints, enlarged leading edge root extentions, and horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. Additionally, the airframe has enlarged leading edge root extentions, which are extensions that are located at the leading edge of the fuselage. The Super Hornet’s structure has also undergone significant redesign in order to cut down on weight and costs without compromising the ship’s strength.

Additionally, unlike the Hornet, the F/A-18E/F does not have a mechanical back-up system for its fly-by-wire control system. Instead, it utilizes a new quadruplex digital control system. The F/A-18F Super Hornet is a two-seat development of the F/A-18E Hornet. The rear cockpit of the F/A-18F Super Hornet is equipped with the same displays as the front cockpit, and the aircraft can otherwise be configured for different combat or training roles. The United States Navy had intended to purchase a total of one thousand Super Hornets in the beginning, but in 1997, that number was cut down to 548. The number of Super Hornets, on the other hand, will increase to 748 if the introduction of the JSF into service is delayed to a time later than 2008–2010. As a potential successor to the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, the F/A-18F C2W Electronic Combat variant has been put forward as a candidate. This will be capable of both actively jamming enemy aid defense as well as suspending it in a way that is fatal to the enemy.