Game is in EA. Game is focused more on the 60s-70s part of the Missile age and many units in the 80s and after may come later as well as more countries platforms. Adding models is also not really a thing right now either. Some folks have kit-bashed variants of items in the game, but that is about it.

I'm not sure why people are so gung ho for the more modern stuff. Its less exciting because everything is so much more capible. Except in the case of the F-18, the legacy Hornets will be worse than the F-14/A-6 combo we have now.

@buckoff124 I personally am interested in the 90's and 2000's because that's when I was serving with the USNSCC and actually going to sea on US Navy vessels. So I and my Navy buddies are more familiar with those ships.

I also wasn't alive in the 50's, and was a pre-teen before the 80's... I am interested in the history of those periods, but I am just more familiar with the vessels in the later portion of the cold war.

I for one would love to see F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. I have interest in both more modern and early Cold War stuff.

I'd also love to see F/A-18, but I'd also not be surprised if it's not content added by devs later for later period warfare/scenarios and don't think the lack of it in game right now means it's not going to be added, haha

I would assume (and hope) the developers are working to apply realistic air wings and "Dates" to those options. For example, designing a vietnam era mission could not contain F/A-18 A,B,C,D's... unless it was a "Final Countdown" type scenario! Just as a modern mission in the persain Gulf could not contain F-8 Crusaders (which oddly enough are not in the game currently).

I would hope an option to actually choose the aircraft assigned to a carrier and their squadrons/years (or even which air wing) would be implemented eventually in the designer which would be AMAZING for creating the first days of Desert Storm (1991) for example, where the A-7E was with CAG-3 on the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.

Oh and really @buckoff124? The legacy hornet would be less effective than the A-6E or the F-14? Carrying Dumb ordinance went away with the opening hours of Desert Storm. There was no need for 30 500lb dumb bombs anymore (which could only be carried on the A-6E if the forward landing gear door on each side was removed anyway). There were trials with a "stand alone" version of the Phoenix (The Phoenix was limited to the Tomcat because it needed the Radar Liquid Cooling System that the F-14 supplied it with)... but it was scrapped. However, more advanced and accurate missiles were developed for use on the Hornet.

I will admit, the later options for the F-14 A+ were an amazing update to the bird, though it was funny seeing it with the fancy turkey feathers on the exhaust plates. And we still had KA-6D's after transitioning to the hornet from A-7's... that is until the S-3B started doing the job with buddy stores (there was even an official variant designated the KS-3B), which was MUCH more efficient.... could stay in the air longer, carry more fuel... didn't rattle your teeth out of your head on the CAT... but I digress... the inception of the Hornet was leaps and bounds above the capabilities (maybe not range) of the F-14 and A-6E.

The EA-6B hung around for a while until the F/A-18G models took over the role. I even saw a version of the S-3 that carried the jamming pods (ES-3A Shadow)... as well as even one that was a version with a radar dome on top to replace the E-2C (Now the E-2D) Hawkeye... but that was never implemented either. They also considered it for the greyhound replacement (C-2A).

Sure, the Phoenix missile went by the wayside, which was the only real threat the Tomcat had over other birds... the capabilities of the Hornet were MUCH more than you know (unless you worked on them, which I did and had the knowledge)... which some would say could not be discussed in a public forum... or at all considering the paperwork stated that those who knew... didn't know.

Trust me... the Hornet A,B,C and D models up through LOTs 15 and higher had capabilities you must not be aware of. The "Super Hornet" has it's own set of upgrades and capabilities.... and is superior in it's own right... but it stands on the back of the YF-17 and the F/A-18 A,B,C and D.

Originally posted by kingfhb:

I would assume (and hope) the developers are working to apply realistic air wings and "Dates" to those options. For example, designing a vietnam era mission could not contain F/A-18 A,B,C,D's... unless it was a "Final Countdown" type scenario! Just as a modern mission in the persain Gulf could not contain F-8 Crusaders (which oddly enough are not in the game currently).

I would hope an option to actually choose the aircraft assigned to a carrier and their squadrons/years (or even which air wing) would be implemented eventually in the designer which would be AMAZING for creating the first days of Desert Storm (1991) for example, where the A-7E was with CAG-3 on the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.

Oh and really @buckoff124? The legacy hornet would be less effective than the A-6E or the F-14? Carrying Dumb ordinance went away with the opening hours of Desert Storm. There was no need for 30 500lb dumb bombs anymore (which could only be carried on the A-6E if the forward landing gear door on each side was removed anyway). There were trials with a "stand alone" version of the Phoenix (The Phoenix was limited to the Tomcat because it needed the Radar Liquid Cooling System that the F-14 supplied it with)... but it was scrapped. However, more advanced and accurate missiles were developed for use on the Hornet.

I will admit, the later options for the F-14 A+ were an amazing update to the bird, though it was funny seeing it with the fancy turkey feathers on the exhaust plates. And we still had KA-6D's after transitioning to the hornet from A-7's... that is until the S-3B started doing the job with buddy stores (there was even an official variant designated the KS-3B), which was MUCH more efficient.... could stay in the air longer, carry more fuel... didn't rattle your teeth out of your head on the CAT... but I digress... the inception of the Hornet was leaps and bounds above the capabilities (maybe not range) of the F-14 and A-6E.

The EA-6B hung around for a while until the F/A-18G models took over the role. I even saw a version of the S-3 that carried the jamming pods (ES-3A Shadow)... as well as even one that was a version with a radar dome on top to replace the E-2C (Now the E-2D) Hawkeye... but that was never implemented either. They also considered it for the greyhound replacement (C-2A).

Sure, the Phoenix missile went by the wayside, which was the only real threat the Tomcat had over other birds... the capabilities of the Hornet were MUCH more than you know (unless you worked on them, which I did and had the knowledge)... which some would say could not be discussed in a public forum... or at all considering the paperwork stated that those who knew... didn't know.

Trust me... the Hornet A,B,C and D models up through LOTs 15 and higher had capabilities you must not be aware of. The "Super Hornet" has it's own set of upgrades and capabilities.... and is superior in it's own right... but it stands on the back of the YF-17 and the F/A-18 A,B,C and D.

None of those super secret 45 year old capabilities mean anything in a video game. They lack the range and you must put your CVN in closer to make strikes than you would have to do with an A-6E. Especially since biddy tanking isn't a thing. The F/A 18 is a self escorting A-7. If there is a Backfire raid inbound would you rather have a deck load of 14s or 18s ready to launch?

I guess if you role play the game as the USSR is lame and you are content with curb stomping 3rd world ♥♥♥♥ holes with a CV air wing the F/A 18 spam would be more useful. But it is less interesting.

Oh believe me I understand those things don't exist in the game. I wish they would develop more in-depth and have in-flight refueling as well as drop tanks actually providing longer range (it doesn't seem like they do since every time they even come close to engaging anything they drop them).

You can use the F18 via mods. Several variants.

Originally posted by SubVet:

You can use the F18 via mods. Several variants.

Well the super Hornets anyway. No older versions like the A,B,C, or D as of yet.