The EA-18G Growler is the next generation of airborne electronic attack: a highly structured F/A-18F Super Hornet airframe with fully integrated state-of-the-art electronic attack capabilities. Succeeding the aging EA-6B Prowler, this is the first newly designed electronic warfare aircraft in over three decades, retaining multi-mission flexibility for the F/A-18E/F while exceptionally performing enemy defense suppression.
Operators of the EA-18G Growler are primarily the U.S. Navy, in cooperative operations with the Royal Australian Air Force. However, the interest in the Growler has not been restricted to these two nations alone but extends to a host of other international partners that have shown keen interest in the capabilities offered by this aircraft.
The Growler features advanced electronic attack technology: the ALQ-218 receiver; ALQ-99 tactical jamming pods; ALQ-227 Communication Countermeasures Set; and the Joint Tactical Terminal, Receiver (JTT-R) for satellite communications. Currently, in the final stages of development, the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jamming Pod will replace the long-serving ALQ-99 pods. Other avionics: APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar further enhances operational performance.
The Growler made its first flight in August 2006, following the manufacture of the first test aircraft in October 2004. Due to the very high level of commonality between the F/A-18E/F and the EA-18G, there’s outstanding capability for upgrades and growth far into the future. The first production Growler was delivered to VAQ 129 at NAS Whidbey Island in June 2008. The initial operational capability was reached by the fall of 2009, along with full-rate production. Squadrons transitioned from the Prowler to the Growler, starting with VAQ-132, then 141, and finally 138, just by 2010-a new era in electronic warfare.
Over the last fifteen years, the EA-18G Growler has been forward-deployed globally in support of major operations, with its first combat experience in Operation Odyssey Dawn, Libya, in 2011. Five U.S. Navy Expeditionary VAQ squadrons support both U.S. Air Force and Navy shore-based operations, with all EA18G squadrons based at NAS Whidbey Island, except for VAQ141, which is forward-based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
Begun in March 2021, the GCM Program at NAS Whidbey Island is the first major upgrade effort for the EA-18G. Engineering changes under this multi-year program are included in several systems shared with the F/A-18E/F Block III to enhance electronic warfare capabilities and combat support for U.S. and Allied forces. This upgrade will include the integration of the Next Generation Jammer-Mid Band.
Currently in development, the Growler Block II will introduce phased improvements to aircraft processing, EW algorithms, and the Advanced Cockpit System. This development aims to enable the EA-18G to keep pace with emerging threats and ensure the aircraft retains a technological advantage throughout its operational lifecycle.
Thus, the EA-18G Growler was, is, and would remain one of the most important assets within modern military operations due to its advanced electronic warfare suite combined with its versatile airframe. It carries the future of airborne electronic attack capabilities.