F/A-18 Training Systems

CAE provides a full range of F/A-18 training systems that support the entire F/A-18 training continuum for both land and sea-based operations. Our F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet training systems, which have evolved and trained F/A-18 aircrew for more than 25 years, today deliver tactically relevant training on demand.

CAE has delivered tailored F/A-18 training systems to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and international military customers that include Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Switzerland.

Learn more about CAE’s F/A-18 training systems programs

CF-18 ADCTS Program

CAE has leveraged its U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft simulator expertise to support a state-of-the-art training system for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 Advanced Distributed Combat Training System (ADCTS) program. We established the Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) architecture—the first DMO system to be fielded in Canada—to provide training for all CF-18 requirements in distributed training exercises across Canada.

Swiss Hornet Operational Training System (SHOTS) Program

We replaced the Swiss government's existing F/A-18 Weapons Tactics Trainers (WTTs) with state-of-the-art F/A-18 Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFTs) capable of supporting multiple aircraft training missions, including an integrated threat system. Our system enables aircrews to conduct full mission training against highly sophisticated interactive threats in a networked training environment.

Australian Super Hornet (ASH) F/A-18F & E/A-18G

The Boeing Company contracted CAE, formerly L3Harris Link Simulation & Training, for a software update to the latest operational flight program (OFP) used by the U.S. Navy. Using two F/A-18 TOFTs on site, the contract includes updates to the OFP baseline and reintroduction of Australian Super Hornet unique capabilities. In addition to the Boeing contract, the U.S. Navy contracted for the delivery of two TOFTs to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Amberley base in Queensland, Australia.

Hornet Aircrew Training System (HACTS)

Raytheon Australia contracted directly with CAE, formerly L3Harris Link Simulation & Training, to provide a technology refresh for the Royal Australian Air Force’s three F/A-18 TOFTs and three F/A-18 Tactical Readiness Trainers (TRTs). The technology refresh upgraded all computational systems and the HD-9 visual systems. The program upgrades trainer software to the current 25X(A) baseline to maintain concurrency with the Operational Flight Program (OFP) in the aircraft.