As it can be seen on aviation photo web sites (like www.airliners.net)
Suomi's and Switzerland's Hornets are quite often flown in a clean or
"almost clean" (w/fuel tank on the centerline) fighter configuration.

As for the USN/USMC Hornets it's a different story. You put one fuel
tank under the wing. You put the second on the centerline (this pylon
in F/A-18A/C is not suitable for PGMs, also not very good for dumb
bombs, so why waste another underwing pylon for a fuel tank?!) You put
FLIR/NITE Hawk on the port nacelle station. And you have an aircraft
for any mission - day or night, fighter or strike, 2VX/4VX self-escort
flight...

That's a bit different with Marine F/A-18Ds, carrying LITENING on no.5
(centerline)station.

East or West - the rule must be the same - when something is assembled
and works well, DON'T TOUCH IT! - so I would not be surprised when a
Rhino once configured as a tanker stays as a tanker for a next few
days...

The F/A-18E/F gives some more capabilities: Thanks to ATFLIR (two pods
in one, as a matter of fact!), an AMRAAM can be carried also for CAS
sorties. You can use the "small" outboard wing stations for additional
HARM or AMRAAMs for self-defense, being still capable of carrying PGMs
and LOT OF extra fuel. You can even put a Maverick on a Rhino in a
tanker configuration, in case any surface contacts may appear in the
area!

Jacek