Lets face it. The Hornet is a small aircraft with limted capability. Same goes for the newer models. Australia has been flying them for ages now, they have only ever gone overseas in anger once and all that really involved was menial flying about in circles miles from any real threats or hostile forces. The Americans allowed them to drop a few bombs on sand dunes to make them feel like they were involved in the campaign, the hornets returned, the pilots got a different coloured flying suit smothered with ridiculous macho "Operation Tactical Desert Eagle Sabre Deny Intercept" badges to remind them of their stint in the sandpit and the hornets purpose in life now is to fly around the occasional airshow or car race as a
PR exercise.
If Australia was involved in a hostile campaign to hold the best display at a car race then our hornet pilots would be streaks head!