As the U.S. Navy/USMC's fleet of EA-6B Prowler Airborne Electronic Warfare aircraft enters its fourth decade of service, partners Boeing and Northrop Grumman have offered a replacement proposal using the successful F/A-18F Super Hornet platform.

Fitted with the same AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS) pods as the Prowler, this two-seat concept, dubbed the EA-18G "Growler", could be ready for service by 2008.  The EA-18G is expected to perform full-spectrum electronic surveillance and attack of enemy threat radars and communications nets.  The Growler is more than 90 percent common with the standard Super Hornet.

The biggest challenges of the project are developing systems architecture for the reduced crew complement and dealing with the lack of Joint Services direction on the future of Airborne Electronic Warfare platforms.

The MCAS Cherry Point 2003 Air Show provided a great (and unexpected) opportunity to witness the EA-18G Growler prototype.  This interesting EW version of the Super Hornet was sitting outside its hangar throughout the air show weekend.

As if that wasn't surprise enough for me, two weeks later a second EA-18G was spotted at the JSOH at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC.  Or at least I thought it was a second one until I studied my photos a bit more thoroughly afterwards.  Even though this baby was sporting a nifty green paint job, it was in fact the same aircraft seen two weeks earlier in a beautiful red scheme.

Tricky choice, but I prefer the red one.

Above:  A left hand side view of the EA-18G in green "Star Warriors" livery (inspired by the markings of VAQ-209, the only Naval Reserve EA-6B unit, based at Andrews AFB).  Note the lack of wideband wingtip receiver pods, which would be fitted to a production bird.

 

The right hand side of the green "Growler" seen at the Andrews Air Force Base Open House.

 

A look at the tail fin (and artwork) of the Star Warriors EA-18G Super Hornet. Note the Darth Vader mask in the roundel.

A left hand side view of the EA-18G in decorative red colour scheme.  A mockup wideband receiver pod can be seen on the left wingtip station (on production aircraft, this would be integral to the wing, and not mounted on the AIM-9 rail); these pods hold similar equipment to that in the "football" on the tail of the EA-6B.

The right hand side of the awesome contender to replace the EA-6B Prowler. As can be seen, this plane only had the wideband receiver pod on the left wingtip.

Bureau number 165166 is the clue that the EA-18G underwent a colour change in the two weeks between its two sightings.  These markings represent those of VAQ-129, the current EA-6B Fleet Replacement Squadron for the Prowler, based at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.  A special thanks to Joe Flynn for his help identifying both sets of markings that the Growler carried.

The pair of pods (one jammer, one auxiliary fuel) on the left wing pylons.  Note the red protective cover over the ram air turbine propeller on the front of the outboard pod.

A different view of the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod.  Here the small propeller of the outboard pod is not covered.

The EA-18G is fitted with the same AN/ALQ-99 electronic warfare pods as the EA-6B Prowler. Advanced cockpit systems allow the crew reduction from four to two.

Note how the shape of the rear of the center AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod conforms to the main landing gear doors.

A look at the front section of the center AN/ALQ-99 jamming pod.