A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, sits on the flight line at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Jan. 28, 2026. (Cecilia Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps)
The Marine Corps will complete a switch from the F/A-18 Hornet to the new fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II by 2030, the service said this week.
An internal administrative message issued Tuesday said the Hornet will be retired from Marine service, and maintenance jobs tied to the F/A-18 Hornet fighter attack plane will be eliminated.
Variants of the Hornet have served in the Marine Corps since 1983. The service has been planning to phase out the Hornet since it received its first Lightnings in January 2012.
The Marines ended new pilot flight training for the Hornet in 2018.
The Navy flies later-model F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and plans to keep the aircraft into the 2040s while also shifting more squadrons to the F-35C. The Navy also flies the EF-18G Growler, an electronic warfare version of the Hornet.
The 2026 Marine Aviation Plan calls for squadrons to expand to 420 F-35s.
The Marines fly two versions of the F-35. The F-35B, which is the primary variant, has vertical takeoff and landing capability and can fly from some amphibious assault ships. The F-35C is designed for carrier-based launch and recovery using catapults and arresting cables.
The plan is to phase out the F/A-18 from its squadrons over a two-year timeline:
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., by Aug. 1, 2028.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., by Aug. 1, 2029.
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, by Aug. 1, 2030.
The administrative message says Marines with Military Occupational Specialties affected by the change include F/A-18 mechanics and specialists on power plants, airframe and safety equipment. Positions for technicians on navigation/radar systems and electrical systems are also being eliminated.
Marines in those specialties are encouraged in the memo to retrain for similar roles on the F-35. They can also retrain for other specialties or opt to leave the Marine Corps at the end of their current enlistment contract. Marines who do not make a choice to change specialties will be transferred.
“No further promotion or retention opportunities will exist for the remaining F/A-18 maintenance population,” the memo said.
A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, parks at Gwangju Air Base, Gwangju, South Korea. (Donald Dugger/U.S. Marine Corps)
