The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier and the Carrier Air Wing 8 recently returned from the Middle East, with its Super Hornets showing new markings from the operations against Iran.
The F/A-18E/F Super Hornets of the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 were among the aircraft which took part in the flyovers for the America 250 celebrations in New York on July 4, 2026. CVW-8 recently returned from the Middle East aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier.
New photos captured on July 4 by aviation photographer William Abrams (@whiskey_alpha_photo) show that some of the aircraft received new markings following their participation to the combat operations against Iran. Multiple squadrons, with both single- and twin-seater Super Hornets took part to the flyover.
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“These photos were taken at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on July 4, 2026, during the recovery following the America 250 celebration in New York,” told us Abrams. “I was listening to ATC beforehand, so I knew the recovery was about to begin and was already in position when the aircraft started arriving.”
Markings from combat deployments
The painting of markings signifying the combat actions in which the aircraft took part is a common tradition of U.S. squadrons returning from deployments. These markings usually attract lots of attention from aviation enthusiasts, especially with the aircraft also receive nose arts in the process.
However, they also give us a better understanding of how a certain aircraft has been employed. A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and F-15E Strike Eagles are commonly known to show a vast array of weapons employed against a multitude of targets, as well as their elaborate nose arts.
In the Super Hornets’ case, the aircraft assigned to the Commander Air Group (CAG) also have prominent, colorful markings which distinguish them from the rest of the fleet. Two CAG birds took part in the New York flyover, the F/A-18F of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 and the F/A-18E of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87.
“The VFA-213 CAG jet immediately stood out with its nose art and mission markings, and I wanted to capture a clean side profile to show off the aircraft,” told us Abrams. “I was also able to photograph one additional VFA-213 Blacklions aircraft, along with aircraft from VFA-31 Tomcatters, VFA-37 Ragin Bulls, and VFA-87 Golden Warriors that returned during the same recovery.”
The Super Hornets
The photos sent to us by William Abrams show that the Super Hornets each employed different numbers and types of weapons. For instance, the grey F/A-18E and the CAG bird assigned to VFA-87 showed four AGM-154 JSOW and 11 JDAM bombs, respectively.
The two jets from VFA-37 saw more action, with the first showing four JSOWs and 42 JDAMs, while the second showed four JSOWs and 19 JDAMs. JDAM bombs were among the most used weapon of the air campaign against Iran, with different sizes used in both the standard JDAM and Laser JDAM configurations.
Perhaps the most puzzling markings were the ones seen on VFA-213’s CAG bird. A total of 31 identical markings are visible on the jet, although they are not immediately identifiable.
The markings feature what appears to be a Mk-80 bombs casing, the same shape used for the JDAM bombs. However, there is another not easily identifiable shape on top of each bomb’s marking.
VFA-213 was often featured in official photos from CENTCOM released on the DVIDS network. Its F/A-18Fs were often seen in a clean configuration during training flight, as well as the so-called “five wet” configuration for aerial refueling and in ground attack configuration with multiple JDAM and Laser JDAM bombs.
A big thank you to William Abrams for sending us these shots. You can find more of his work on Instagram @whiskey_alpha_photo.
