Oshkosh 2023 Live | Boeing EA-18G Growler, Electronic Warfare Aircraft. Warbirds In Review

Tammie Jo Shults possessed an early interest in flying, but she faced various obstacles on her path to becoming a military pilot. Applying her lifelong trait of perseverance, she eventually became one of the first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots in the United States Navy. Her duties, before women were allowed into combat roles, encompassed teaching Out Of Control Flight as well as serving as a bogey/bandit against Top Gun students as well as other squadrons, ships or entire carrier groups.

The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers in service with the United States Navy. The Growler's electronic warfare capability is primarily provided by Northrop Grumman. The EA-18G began production in 2007 and entered operational service with the US Navy in late 2009. Australia has also purchased thirteen EA-18Gs, which entered service with the Royal Australian Air Force in 2017.

On 15 November 2001, Boeing successfully completed an initial flight demonstration of F/A-18F "F-1" fitted with the ALQ-99 electronic warfare system to serve as the EA-18 Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) concept aircraft. In December 2003, the US Navy awarded a development contract for the EA-18G to Boeing. As a primary contractor, Boeing was to construct the forward fuselage and wings and perform the final assembly. Northrop Grumman was the principal airframe subcontractor and they would supply the center and aft fuselage as well as the principal electronic combat system. In 2003, the Navy expected to receive 90 EA-18Gs.

The first EA-18G test aircraft entered production on 22 October 2004. The first test aircraft, known as EA-1, was rolled out on 3 August 2006, before making its maiden flight at St. Louis on 15 August 2006; it was later ferried to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on 22 September 2006. EA-1 primarily supports ground testing in the Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility (ACETEF) anechoic chamber.

The second aircraft (EA-2) first flew on 10 November 2006 and was delivered to NAS Patuxent River on 29 November 2006. EA-2 is an AEA flight test aircraft, initially flying on Pax River's Atlantic Test Range (ATR) for the developmental test of the AEA system before transitioning to the Electronic Combat Range (ECR, or 'Echo Range') in Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California. Both aircraft are assigned to VX-23 "Salty Dogs". EA-1 and EA-2 are F/A-18Fs F-134 and F-135 pulled from the St. Louis production line and modified by Boeing to the EA-18G configuration. However, since they were not built initially as Growlers, the Navy has designated these two test aircraft as NEA-18Gs. There were five Growlers flying in the flight test program as of June 2008.

In an April 2006 report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office expressed concerns. The GAO felt the electronic warfare systems on the EA-18G were not fully mature so there is a risk of "future cost growth and schedule delays". The report recommended that the DoD consider purchasing additional ICAP III upgrades for EA-6Bs to fill any current and near-term capability gaps and restructure the initial EA-18G production plans so that procurement takes place after the aircraft has "demonstrated full functionality".In a 2008 GAO report, the director of the DoD's Operational Test and Evaluation department questioned the workload on the two-person Growler crew to replace the Prowler's crew of four.

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 60 ft 1.25 in (18.31 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 8.5 in (13.62 m) (including wingtip-mounted pods)
Height: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
Wing area: 500 sq ft (46.5 m2)
Empty weight: 33,094 lb (15,011 kg)
Gross weight: 48,000 lb (21,772 kg) ; recovery weight
Max takeoff weight: 66,000 lb (29,964 kg)
Internal fuel capacity: 13,940 lb (6,323 kg)
External fuel capacity: (3 x 480 gal tanks): 9,774 lb (4,420 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans, 14,000 lbf (62 kN) thrust each dry, 22,000 lbf (98 kN) with afterburner
Performance

Maximum speed: 1,030 kn (1,190 mph, 1,900 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Range: 1,275 nmi (1,458 mi, 2,346 km) ; clean plus two AIM-9s
Combat range: 390 nmi (449 mi, 722 km) ; for interdiction mission
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,070 mi, 3,330 km) ; range without ordnance
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) at least
Wing loading: 92.8 lb/sq ft (453 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.93

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