Throughout the late 1980s and early '90s, the new F/A-18 Hornet showed many shortcomings, notably in its fleet-defence armament and high-speed performance, compared to its predecessor which it was meant to replace, the famous F-14 Tomcat. These problems quickly accumulated, jump-starting an upgrade programme for the Hornet that would span multiple phases, incorporating many new avionics, airframe, and weaponry upgrades. The primary upgrades in the first phase of this programme involved integration with new interim missiles such as the AIM-7P and AIM-9M and addition of new ground-attack weaponry and sensors. This new variant began entering service throughout the early 90s as the F/A-18C for the single-seat version, and the F/A-18D for the twin-seat version. Throughout the next few years, this variant would still see further upgrades into a later, more advanced model.

The F/A-18C Early was introduced as a pack premium in Update "Hornet's Sting". Do not let this aircraft's seemingly inferior (to its tech tree variant) armament deter you, as the F/A-18C Early is still a very strong aircraft for its battle rating in all game modes. In air battles, the F/A-18C brings to the table incredible dogfighting performance, particularly at lower speeds, alongside acceptable short-range missiles, powerful medium-range SARH missiles, and one of the strongest sensor suites in its entire BR range, even including an NCTR system for target identification. In mixed battles, the F/A-18C Early is no slouch either, being able to rain a devastating storm of various kinds of TV, laser, and GPS-guided ordnance alongside its conventional selection. All in all, this early model of the Charlie Hornet is a very capable aircraft in most roles one may find necessary to use it in at this battle rating.