The Navy announced today that it has grounded 104 F/A-18A-D Hornets after cracking was discovered in the air frames by the Service Life Assessment Program, which is determining what it would take to extend the lives of Hornets to mitigate a strike fighter shortfall for the Navy in the next decade. "Inspections revealed that cracking has occurred earlier than predicted in some air frames," Navy spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said in an e-mail. "This issue was a known potential 'high-stress...
