A Death Rattler F/A-18A, ordered in Fiscal Year 1985. The aircraft served VFA-161 from the start of its career (NM-401) and was transferred to the Marines with VMFA-531 (EC-01) and VMFA-323 (WS-01, as pictured). It was modiffied at NAS North Island (CA) in early 1993 to F/A-18+ and continued with VMFA-314 (VW-12) and returned to the Navy with VFA-125 (NJ-357), and VFA-97 (NH-202, NH-200 and later as NH-300). In January 2008, the Hornet was stored at China Lake and assigned to the Weapons Survivability Laboratory which is no good news for the life of the aircraft...