F/A-18G "Growler"(EA-18 Airborne Electronic Attack Aircraft )

The EA-18 was selected to replace the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The EA-6B will begin retirement in the 2010 timeframe, after a career that exceeded 40 years of deployments in support of USN, USMC, and USAF strike forces. As of early 2000, Defense Department planning for replacing the EA-6B Prowler include a scheme under which the Navy would buy an F/A-18G "Growler" -- an F/A-18E/F modified for escort and close-in jamming. The Air Force would provide standoff jamming with modified EB-52s or EB-1s, and close-in jamming with unmanned air vehicles such as the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk or General Atomics Predator.

A variant of the U.S. Navy F/A-18F two-crew strike fighter, the EA-18G combines the combat-proven F/A-18F strike fighter with the proven Improved Capability III (ICAP III) AEA avionics suite. Boeing and the U.S. Navy signed a five-year System Development and Demonstration contract on December 29, 2003 . The SDD contract runs from 2004 through early 2009 and encompasses all laboratory, ground test, and flight tests from component level testing through full-up EA-18G weapons system performance flight testing. Boeing plans to fly the first production EA-18G in October 2007, with Initial Operating Capability for the EA-18G expected in 2009.

The F/A-18G Growler will replace the US Navy's EA-6B Prowler and the Air Force's EF-111 Raven.



Links :

www.globalsecurity.org...
www.turbosquid.com...
www.crows.org...
www.nationmaster.com...

Only 2 seats? That doesnt seem very much for a jammer aircraft.

Already under construction

Originally posted by tomcat ha
Only 2 seats? That doesnt seem very much for a jammer aircraft.

Why? Because the EA-6 had 4? Technology has evolved to the point where we don't need four people.

the ea6 was bulky and is old compared to the newer f/a-18G

The EF-111 was only two seats. It was replaced long ago. The last F-111/EF-111 was sold to Australia not long after the First Gulf War. The USAF has been flying EA-6Bs with the Navy for several years now.

Finally they are replacing the EA-6, it was getting old and I think better technology and systems on the F/A-18G should be a very good replacement.




[edit on 23-6-2005 by WestPoint23]

Actually its not really replacing the EF-111 Raven as they are already in the boneyard. However, there are persistent rumors that the USAF will go back to having its own squadrons of jamming aircraft.

The B-52 is already beeing tested with some huge standoff jamming equipment. The new ESRA radars have limited jaming capacity, and who knows maybe a variant of the F-22 or the F-35 will be used in the role.

Right now the EA-6B is the USAF jamming platform. They're flying them in Navy squadrons including carrier ops, with USAF pilots and crew members. I've heard that there are a couple fo proposals for a USAF jamming platform, but nothing on the drawing board as of now, and no contract proposals being accepted yet.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
Right now the EA-6B is the USAF jamming platform. They're flying them in Navy squadrons including carrier ops, with USAF pilots and crew members. I've heard that there are a couple fo proposals for a USAF jamming platform, but nothing on the drawing board as of now, and no contract proposals being accepted yet.

They are working on the EB-52.

That looks nice.

The EB-52 is supposed to do the following as a jamming a/c

The plan divides the AEA mission into four major parts:

Standoff jamming—the disruption of enemy communications from a distance—goes to the Air Force.

Escort jamming, assigned to the Navy, features jammer aircraft that fly as part of a strike package.

Self-protection, or the use of onboard-generated signals to throw off the guidance of surface-to-air missiles, will be provided by each service.

“Stand-in” jamming, or extremely close-in disruption of radars, hinges on two systems, one Air Force and one joint.
www.afa.org...

you have to remember that the aircraft is just a platform. the equipment it carries is what is important. consider the fact that a room full of PDP 1170's (those of you who can remember) is now blown away by a common desktop computer. things like airframe life, engines, sustainability, and spares availability are what determines a military aircraft's life. the EA-6 airframe may be old, but the electronics are current. they have to be. you can't counter a current threat with old technology.

why do you think the B-52 is still around, plus the KC-135's. by the time the B-52 is retired, it will have served almost 80 years. same thing for the KC-135's. they aren't flying 1960's technology in those things.

remember, an aircraft is a platform for weapons, electronics, and other things needed to perform the mission. if it can't perform the mission, you have alot of unhappy pilots.

Hmm, I knew I was slipping on something lately. I used to keep up on this kind of thing. Although things HAVE been a little insane lately. heh. Thanks for the links and info.

There are photos of the real aircraft around. I got to find them.

Two F/A-18F Super Hornets were recently rolled unfinished from Boeing's St. Louis, Mo., assembly line into a separate hangar for conversion into the Navy's two planned EA-18G developmental test aircraft.

The EA-18G is designed to be the Navy's next generation electronic attack aircraft to replace the fleet's current carrier-based EA-6B Prowler.

Starting with an F/A-18F Block II aircraft, the developmental test aircraft will be fitted with the Prowler's latest electronic attack equipment, including the ALQ-218(v)2 tactical receiver, communications countermeasures set, interference cancellation, ALQ-99 tactical jamming system pods and the multi-mission advanced tactical terminal (MATT).

The program selected the F/A-18F airframe so that the electronic aircraft would have the same speed and mobility to fly, and engage, with its Super Hornet cousins.

The two developmental test aircraft - to be called EA-1 and EA-2 - are scheduled to begin flight-testing in September and November 2006, respectively. The first EA-18G squadron is scheduled to take to the air in fiscal year 2009.

"The review, like the [preliminary design review], was comprehensive, professional and successful ... For an aircraft electronic warfare program the [review] was very mature," said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Wieringa, assistant commander for research and engineering, NAVAIR.

"This [critical design review], combined with the beginning of modifications for our flight test aircraft, represent two outstanding achievements that put a bookend on the early phase of the development of the EA-18G," said Bob Feldmann, Boeing's program manager for the aircraft.

Full article ...

This article has a rare picture of the F/A-18 G currently being built .. check it out

[edit on 5-8-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Ok, but what can yuo tell about the plane, top-speed, maneuverability, maxumum service celing...?






[edit on 5-8-2005 by Figher Master FIN]

It's going to be very similar to the E/F models, the only real difference is that the G will have electronic warfare gear added to it. It's the same basic airframe/engines etc.

It could be above or below you, or right on your six -- and you wouldn't even know. Before you can mouth the word "mayday," you realize that your communications are malfunctioning and several F-14s are headed straight for you.

You have the ALQ-218 suite jamming your communications and the APG-79 revealing your position. On top of this, you have no idea where the attack is coming from. This is the work of computer-controlled jamming pods. These ALQ-99 pods, are smart little suckers. They automatically detect and classify a radar's electronic energy, and determine the exact signal strength required to shut it down.

The EA-18G Growler

All I can say is WOW!