FA18AB

FA18AB is a designation sometimes encountered in non-official sources to describe a hypothetical two-seat variant derived from the F/A-18 Hornet family. It is not an officially recognized model or procurement program.

Officially, the U.S. Navy uses the designations F/A-18A (single-seat) and F/A-18B (two-seat) for its Hornet variants. The concatenated code "FA18AB" does not appear in primary sources or contemporary service records, and no production aircraft by that designation has been publicly documented.

In speculative or fictional contexts, FA18AB is described as a two-seat multirole platform that could incorporate modern avionics and mission-system upgrades while retaining the Hornet’s core airframe and weapons compatibility. Possible features in such portrayals include advanced radar or sensor suites, enhanced data links for network-centric operations, improved cockpit ergonomics, and flexibility for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The propulsion would typically mirror the Hornet family’s generation, potentially using a two-engine core and various afterburning powerplants depending on the era of depiction.

The designation is primarily used in hobbyist literature, video games, or alternate-history discussions, rather than in official documentation. Real-world Hornet upgrades have followed the F/A-18A/B lineage and later evolved into the F/A-18C/D and the larger F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

See also: F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, two-seat military aircraft.