By ERIKA I. RITCHIE | The Orange County Register | Published: February 27, 2021
SANTA ANA, Calif. (Tribune News Service) — Eleven F/A-18 Hornets launched from the deck of the USS Nimitz on Thursday heralding the end of an era for the famed fighter jets in the Marine Corps.
The flight to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's tarmac marked the last time the Marines would deploy with Hornets on an aircraft carrier. By 2028, most pilots will fly the more stealth F-35 B fighter jets.
It also marked the end of an 11-month deployment to the Middle East and Africa for the USS Nimitz, it's 5,000 sailors, and accompanying destroyers, which on Friday arrived at Naval Base San Diego.