I runga i 2 May 1975, te Navy kauwhautia tona kōwhiringa o te YF-17. Mai i te LWF kihai i faaite i te whakaritenga hoahoa o te VFAX, ka ui Navy McDonnell Douglas ko Northrop ki te whakawhanake i te rererangi hou i te hoahoa me te mau parau tumu o te YF-17. I runga i 1 Maehe 1977, te Hekeretari o te Navy W. Graham Claytor whakapuaki e ka huaina te F-18 "Hornet". i mahi tahi Northrop ki McDonnell Douglas rite te kirimana tuarua i runga i NACF ki te moni i runga i te wheako o te whakamutunga i roto i te hanga kaipuke, tae atu i te F-4 Fallon II. I runga i enei, i whakaaetia e McDonnell Douglas ki te tāpiri i te YF-16, whakanuia te taumaha o te waka rererangi ki runga i te whānuitanga o te 10,000 kg, me te whakarahi i te whānuitanga o ngā pūkaha rererangi i runga i te whiti, me te hanga i te whiti i runga i te whiti, me te whakapiki i te whānuitanga o te kaha ki runga i te wh
he waka rererangi hou