Boeing EA - 18G Growler 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 will replace the Northrop Grumman EA - 6B Prowler s 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 in late 2009 . Development . Requirement and testing . 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 . In 2003 , the Navy expected to receive 90 EA - 18Gs . The first EA - 18G test aircraft entered production in 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 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 . Procurement . 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 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 . The U . S Navy has ordered a total of 57 aircraft to replace its existing EA - 6B Prowler s in service , all of which will be based at NAS Whidbey Island save for Reserve Squadron VAQ - 209 based at NAF Washington , MD . The US DoD gave approval for the EA - 18G program to begin low - rate initial production in 2007 . The EA - 18G was scheduled to finish flight testing in 2008 . The Navy planned to buy approximately 85 aircraft in 2008 . Approval for full - rate production was expected in the third quarter of 2009 , and was given on 23 November 2009 . Boeing will ramp up production to 20 aircraft per year . On 9 July 2009 , General James Cartwright told the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services that the choice had been to continue the F / A - 18 production line because the war fighting commanders needed more aerial electronic warfare capability that only the EA - 18G could provide . The Navy ' s submission for the 2011 defense budget put forth by the Obama Administration calls for four EA - 18G Growler squadrons to be added to the fleet . On 14 May 2010 , Boeing and the US Department of Defense reached an agreement for a multi - year contract for an additional 66 F / A - 18E / Fs and 58 EA - 18Gs over the next four years . This will raise the total to 114 EA - 18Gs on order . The Pentagon ’ s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation determined that the EA - 18G was " still not operationally suitable " in February 2011 . Prime contractor Boeing is working to address issues with software updates . In December 2011 , Operational Test and Evaluation concluded that the EA - 18G software was " operationally effective and suitable " . Design . The Growler ' s flight performance is similar to that of the F / A - 18E / F . This attribute enables the Growler to perform escort jamming as well as the traditional standoff jamming mission . Growlers will be able to accompany F / A - 18s during all phases of an attack mission . In order to give the Growler more stable flight for the electronic warfare mission , Boeing changed the leading edge fairings and wing fold hinge fairings , and added wing fences and aileron " tripper strips " . The Growler has more than 90 % in common with the standard Super Hornet , sharing airframe , Raytheon AN / APG - 79 AESA radar and weapon systems such as the AN / AYK - 22 stores management system . Most of the dedicated airborne electronic attack equipment is mounted in the space that used to house the internal 20 mm cannon and on the wingtips . Nine weapons stations remain free to provide for additional weapons or jamming pods . The added electronics include AN / ALQ - 218 wideband receivers on the wingtips , and ALQ - 99 high and low - band tactical jamming pods . The ALQ - 218 combined with the ALQ - 99 form a full spectrum electronic warfare suite that is able to provide detection and jamming against all known surface - to - air threats . However the current pods will be inadequate against emerging threats . The EA - 18G can be fitted with up to five ALQ - 99 jamming pods and will typically add two AIM - 120 AMRAAM or AGM - 88 HARM missiles . The EA - 18G will also use the INCANS Interference Cancellation system that will allow voice communication while jamming enemy communications , a capability not available on the EA - 6B . In addition to the radar warning and jamming equipment the Growler possesses a communications receiver and jamming system that will provide suppression and electronic attack against airborne communication threats . The poor reliability of the ALQ - 99 jammer pod and frequent failures of the Built In Test ( BIT ) have caused crew to fly missions with undetected faults . The ALQ - 99 has also interfered with the aircraft ' s AESA radar , and has imposed a high workload on the two - man crew , along with reducing the Growler ' s top speed . Boeing is looking into other potential upgrades ; the ALQ - 99 radar jamming pod may be replaced in the future , and the company is looking into adding weapons and replacing the satellite communications receiver . The Growler is the initial platform for the Next Generation Jammer ( NGJ ) which uses Active Electronically Scanned Array ( AESA ) technology to focus jamming power exactly where needed . The NGJ was to be implemented on the F - 35 . However , in May 2012 , the U . S . Navy decided to focus NGJ integration on the EA - 18G for an expected in - service date of 2020 , and defer work for the F - 35 . Boeing is also looking at exporting a Growler Lite configuration without the jamming pods for electronic awareness rather than electronic attack . Operational history . United States . The first Growler for fleet use was officially accepted by VAQ - 129 " Vikings " at NAS Whidbey Island , on 3 June 2008 . The Navy planned to buy approximately 85 aircraft to equip 11 squadrons as of 2008 . The EA - 18G completed operational evaluation in late July 2009 . The Growler was rated operationally effective and suitable for operational use . On 5 August 2009 , EA - 18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 ( VAQ - 129 ) and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 ( VAQ - 132 ) completed their first at - sea carrier - arrested landing aboard the . The first deployable EA - 18G squadron is to be VAQ - 132 " Scorpions " , which reached operational status in October 2009 . The first Growler operational deployment was announced on 17 February 2011 . In service , the EA - 18 ' s radio name during flight operations will be " Grizzly " . The " Growler " nickname sounded too much like the EA - 6B ' s " Prowler " name , so " Grizzly " will be used to avoid confusion . With the termination of the EB - 52H standoff jammer , the Growler will become the sole remaining manned tactical jammer and Air Staff requirements director Maj . Gen . David Scott has indicated that the USAF will seek to provide electronic warfare officers to fly on US Navy Growlers , without providing funding to purchase additional aircraft . By May 2011 , 48 Growlers had been delivered to the U . S . Navy . The EA - 18G was first used in combat during Operation Odyssey Dawn , enforcing the UN no - fly zone over Libya . Five EA - 18Gs were redeployed from Iraq to support operations in Libya . Australia . In 2008 the Australian Government requested export approval from the US government to purchase up to six EA - 18Gs , which would be part of the order for 24 F / A - 18F Super Hornets . On 27 February 2009 , Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced that 12 of the 24 Super Hornets on order would be wired on the production line for future fit - out as EA - 18Gs . The additional wiring would cost A $ 35 million . The final decision on conversion to EA - 18Gs , at a cost of A $ 300 million , was to be announced in March 2012 . On 23 August 2012 , the Australian Government announced that 12 RAAF Super Hornets would be fitted with Growler capability at a cost of $ 1 . 5 billion ; making the Royal Australian Air Force the only military other than the U . S . to operate the Growler ' s electronic jamming equipment . On 3 May 2013 , the Australian Government announced that it will buy 12 new - build Growlers to supplement the existing Super Hornet fleet .