The USA’s electronic attack fighters are a unique, overworked, and nearly obsolete capability. With the retirement of the US Air Force’s long-range EF-111 Raven “Spark ‘Vark,” the aging 4-seat EA-6B Prowlers are now the USA’s sole remaining tactical aircraft type for radar jamming, communications jamming and information operations like signals interception [1]. Despite their age and performance limits, they’ve been predictably busy on the front lines, used for everything from escorting strike aircraft against heavily defended targets, to disrupting enemy IED land mine attacks by jamming all radio signals in an area.

All airframes have lifespan limits, however, and the EA-6B is no exception. The USA’s new electronic warfare aircraft will be based on Boeing’s 2-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighter and has 90% commonality with its counterpart. That will give it decent self-defense capabilities as well as electronic attack potential. At present, however, the EA-18G is slated to be the only dedicated electronic warfare aircraft in the USA’s future force – and since the USA is currently the only western country with such aircraft, it would become the sole source of tactical jamming support for NATO air forces as a whole.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This article describes the EA-18G aircraft and its key systems, outlining the program, and keeping track of ongoing developments, contracts, et. al. that affect the program. New items will be highlighted via green type. The latest news involves US Department of Defense approval for Full Rate Production of the EA-18G and a $386 million order for EA-18G airborne electronic attack kits…

• EA-18G: The Platform
• EA-18G: Industrial Program
• EA-18G: Numbers & Budgets
• EA-18G: Contracts & Other Key Developments [updated]
• Appendix A: The EA-18G and the Future Force Mix
• Appendix B: Additional Readings and Sources

EA-18G: The Platform

While other electronic warfare platforms like the EC-130H Compass Call exist, their slow speed makes their use as tactical jamming aircraft during airstrikes problematic. The most common tactical option for electronic attack, therefore, takes an existing fighter such as the A-6 Intruder (EA-6B Prowler) or F-111 Aardvark (the recently-retired EF-111 Raven, aka. “Spark Vark”), then modifies it via new wiring, changes to the airframe, and additional pods. The price has typically been reduced performance, reduced weapons capability, and sometimes even a larger basic radar signature for the airframe.

The current EA-6B is an excellent example. The good news? Since it’s based on Grumman’s robust A-6 Intruder attack aircraft, it offers excellent range, ample carrying capacity, and efficient subsonic performance. The bad news? Poor self-defense against aerial opponents, a large radar signature, and difficulty keeping up with friendly aircraft traveling at high subsonic cruise speeds.

The EA-18G Growler has avoided many, but not all, of these typical tradeoffs.

The Growler is more than 90% common with the standard F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, AN/APG-79 AESA radar, AN/AYK-22 stores management system, and weapons options. The exception is the Super Hornet’s 20mm Vulcan gatling gun, which has been removed from the nose in favor of electrical equipment.

Additional electrical equipment is added throughout the airframe, and Raytheon’s internally-mounted AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system uses a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording. That system works with the plane’s AN/ALQ-99 high and low-band jamming pods, in order to perform complex jamming tasks. Northrop Grumman’s ALQ-218v2 is a digital wideband radio frequency receiver, with selective jamming and geo-location capabilities. It currently equips the EA-18G’s wingtip pods.

The use of pods comes with certain penalties. The increased drag of the external pods, coupled with the shorter range of the F/A-18 E/F base platform vis-a-vis the A-6 it replaces, means that fuel tanks will also be a common attachment. The presence of those fuel tanks, and of the pods on its wingtips and underwing pylons, will greatly constrain the EA-18G’s ability to carry other weapons. Despite these limitations, Growlers will be more capable of aerial self-defense than their predecessors. EA-18Gs will typically be armed with a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAM medium range air-air missiles mounted under the engine intakes, and another pair of AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation) or AGM-88E AARGM (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided) missiles on underwing stations for destroying enemy radar sites.

Boeing is also starting to survey future users of the EA-18G “Growlers” to find out what upgrades they might like to see after the US Navy starts fielding the Super Hornet derivative in 2009. While the AN/ALQ-99 radar jamming pod has received positive reviews, and will be a critical component of the EA-18G’s initial kit, the US Navy’s EA-18G program manager has said that it might eventually have to be replaced. The USA’s Next-Generation Jammer program is already in motion to do just that. The EA-18 program is also exploring adding weapons and replacing the satellite communications receiver, as part of the budget planning process.

Meanwhile, exports beckon. That would be something of a departure, as the USA has traditionally been the only country to field tactical electronic attack aircraft. As anti-aircraft missiles on the global market become more and more sophisticated, serious players are going to need this kind of capability. The ALQ-99 radar jamming pod is still considered too secret to export, however, so “EA-18 Lite” export versions would reply on the ALQ-218 wingtip pods, and the internally-mounted ALQ-227 system. The removal of the ALQ-99 removes the plane’s most advanced jamming, unless pods from other global sources could be integrated instead, or America relents and allows ALQ-99 exports after fielding its future Next Generation Jammer. The APG-79 AESA radar that equips all Super Hornet variants beyond Block II could also be used as a jammer, if future software development is forthcoming along those lines.

The resulting “EA-18 Lite” combination would be a stronger SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) option than the F/A-18F, with more range and available weapons than a full EA-18G, but less stealth than the F-35A. EA-18 Lites would be able to identify and geo-locate enemy radars, for instance, and immediately target them with GPS-enabled anti-radar missiles like AARGM. Jamming in low-intensity environments, such as the use of EA-6B Prowlers in Iraq to jam enemy land mine detonation frequencies over key convoys, would also be possible.

Australia has already taken initial steps toward buying this EA-18 variant, and its availability may also entice potential Super Hornet customers like India.

EA-18G: Industrial Program

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) PMA-265 is the U.S. Navy acquisition office for the EA-18G. Boeing is the prime contractor, building the forward fuselage and wings and conducting final assembly. Northrop Grumman, who designed the YF-17 lightweight fighter that became the F/A-18 family, is the principal subcontractor. They supply the center and aft fuselage and act as the airborne electronic attack subsystem integrator. The Hornet Industry Team will divide key EA-18G component production across Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Electric (F414 engine) and Raytheon (AN/APG-79 AESA radar) manufacturing facilities.

The EA-18G has faced its share of normal development challenges. A $7 million supplemental contract was required, in order to make its wingtip-mounted AN/ALQ-218 (V)2 radio-frequency receiver systems durable enough to withstand harsh weather. Managing the human interface complexities of going from 4 crew in the EA-6B to just 2 crew in the EA-18G is also an ongoing focus. The EA-18Gs were set to receive their production software and hardware build in July 2007, which is the last major challenge through the end of test and evaluation. Software build 2.0 will fix deficiencies discovered in the first software tape, add 36% more software functionality, and roll in capabilities for communications jamming and Multi-mission Advanced Tactical Terminal systems hardware. The pace of testing provided the team an extra 2 months to incorporate fixes into that software push.

The Growler’s level of commonality with its Super Hornet predecessor helps to keep development costs down, but complex integration is still required for the various electronic components, and testing is still necessary. At the moment, however, the program is slightly under expected cost, as it nears the end of a 5-year system design & development contract.

EA-18G flight testing and Operational Evaluation is taking place at the Navy’s Patuxent River, MD and China Lake, CA test sites, and on Navy carriers, through 2008 and 2009. Fielding is also beginning at NAS Whidbey Island, WA.

At present, industrial partners include:

• Boeing (F/A-18, EA-18G prime contractor)
• GE (F414 engines)
• Northrop Grumman in Bethpage, NY; El Segundo, CA; St Augustine, FL, Baltimore, MD (F/A-18 structures, EW systems and software incl. ALQ-218 and wingtip pods, EW support)
• ITT in Thousand Oaks, CA (ALQ-99 jamming pods, INCANS interference canceling)
• Raytheon in El Segundo, CA; Ft. Wayne, IN; and Largo, FL (APG-79 AESA radar, ALQ-227 CCS)
• Alion Science and Technology Inc. in Annapolis, MD (EM analysis)
• Ball Aerospace, Westminster, CO (MATT antenna)
• Cobham’s Sensor and Antenna Systems division in Landsdale, PA (low band antennas)
• GKN Inc. in St. Louis, MO (complex parts fabrication)
• Harris Corp in Melbourne, FL (data storage devices)
• Nurad in Baltimore, MD (wingtip pod radome)
• Times Microwave in Wallingford, CT (RF/IF coaxial cables)

EA-18G: Numbers & Budgets

The current plan for the EA-18G program has declined slightly from 90 EA-18G production aircraft to 88. It aims to equip 10 squadrons, while meeting training and other needs.

The EA-18G received DoD approval to enter Full Rate Production on Nov 23/09. Initial early deliveries to Fleet Replacement Squadron VAQ-129 have begun, which allows the Navy to begin general aircrew training and develop standard operating procedures. Initial EA-18G Operational Capability was achieved in September 2009 with the US Navy electronic attack squadron VAQ-132 located at Whidbey Island, WA where the Navy’s current EA-6B squadrons are based. The US Navy expects a complete transition of 85 production Growlers to the fleet by 2013.

Budgetary figures below are based on Pentagon documents. All figures are in millions, and deliveries tend to occur 2 fiscal years after orders are placed:

	RDT&E	Procurement	Aircraft	TL
2005	346.5	8.2	0	$354.70
2006	379.7	351.6	4	$731.30
2007	372.3	775.5	8 + 1	$1,147.8
2008	269.4	1525.4	21	$1,794.80
2009	129.7	1594	22	$1,723.70
2010	55.4	1632.4	22	$1,687.80
TL	$1,553.0	$5887.1	78	$7,440.1

Note that fleet support costs are part of the F/A-18E/F budget, due to aircraft commonality. DID’s Spotlight on the MYP-II Super Hornet contract, which covers all F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft from 2005-2009, offers figures from this period.

EA-18G: Contracts & Other Developments

Note that some procurement items will be shared between the EA-18G and the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets on which the platform is based. APG-79 radars, GE-404 engines, et. al. all fall into this category. In general, this anchor article will only cover purchases that refer exclusively to the EA-18G, unless the EA-18G items are specifically broken out or their inclusion helps make later EA-18 program buys more comprehensible.

Unless otherwise specified, all awards are made to Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO, and/or are awarded by the the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, MD.

FY 2010

Nov 30/09: A $386 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0086) for the procurement of 22 EA-18G Lot 33 Full Rate Production (FRP) airborne electronic attack (AEA) kits, 22 EA-18G Lot 34 FRP AEA kits, and the associated non-recurring engineering.

Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (46.5%); Bethpage, NY (22.7%); St. Louis, MO (13.5%); Melbourne, FL (5.5%); Fort Wayne, IN (3.7%); Thousand Oaks, CA (3.7%); Wallingford, CT (2.6%); Nashua, NH (1.1%); and Westminster, CO (0.7%), and is expected to be complete in December 2012.

Nov 30/09: A $9.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014) to incorporate engineering change proposals 6251 and 6251R1 and convert 22 Lot 33 F/A-18F aircraft to EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (62%); El Segundo, CA (36%); and Mesa, AZ (2%), and is expected to be complete in September 2011.

EA-18Gs start out as F/A-18F base airframes, then receive additional wiring and other changes, before the full airborne electronic attack set is integrated.

Nov 23/09: The US Department of Defense approves Full Rate Production (FRP) of the EA-18G Growler. The EA-18G program now can proceed from Low Rate Initial Production to quantities of 20+ aircraft per year, as budgeted in FY 2010.

The EA-18G achieved Initial Operational Capability in September 2009 with US Navy electronic attack squadron VAQ-132, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State. Boeing release

Oct 29/09: A maximum $51 million firm-fixed-price, sole source contract for 23 line items in support of the EA-18G’s FY 2010 program. There was originally 1 proposal solicited with 1 response, and the date of performance completion is Dec 31/12. The Defense Logistics Agency Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, PA manages this contract (N00383-06-D-001J-TH05).

Oct 28/09: President Obama signs the FY 2010 defense budget into law. That budget provides funding for 22 EA-18Gs, and Congress increased related F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet purchases from 9 to 18. White House | House-
Senate Conference Report summary [PDF] & tables [PDF].

FY 2009

July 28/09: The US Department of Defense releases the EA-18G Growler’s initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) findings, which recommended it for use in the fleet and gave it the best rating of “operationally effective, operationally suitable.” Effectiveness refers to mission performance evaluations, while suitability focuses on maintainability and reliability.

The initial EA-18G combines 2 fielded systems, in the F/A-18F airframe and the same Improved Capability III (ICAP III) electronic warfare suite used on current EA-6B Prowlers. That lowers risk, but it’s still a new combination. As it happens, software anomalies were discovered during the IOT&E process. The EA-18G team is developing a software update release, to be implemented during the normal verification and correction of deficiencies (VCD) period later this year. US Navy NAVAIR.

July 1/09: A $27.9 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0086) for additional time-critical parts in support of EA-18G Full Rate Production.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO,, and is expected to be complete in September 2009. The EA-18G has a set manufacturer, so this contract was not competitively procured.

April 29/09: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Bethpage, NY received a $9.9 million cost plus fixed fee contract for various products, and 73,571 hours of engineering services, in support of the EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Integrated Product Team. The firm will provide assistance with design, development, integration, test and distribution of Electronic Attack Unit software, technical evaluations, and testing of changes; and will support follow-on test and evaluation integration and test.

Work will be performed at Point Mugu, CA, (85%); Bethpage, NY, (10%); and China Lake, CA, (5%), and is expected to be completed in April 2012. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to the FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division in China Lake, CA manages this contract (N68936-09-D-0026).

Feb 27/09: Australia is pre-wiring 12 of its planned 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets, in order to allow future conversions to EA-18 Lite status. The additional cost for the pre-wiring on the production line is A$ 35 million, out of an order now cited as A$ 6.6 billion. Completing that fit out to “Growler Lite” status is expected to involve an additional A$ 300 million, with the go/no-go decision set for 2012.

Characteristically, the new Labor Party government’s release ends with a shot at the procurement policies of the previous Liberal Party government:

“If the Howard Government had taken a more prudent approach in making the Super Hornet decision rather than rushing to fill their impending air combat capability gap, they may have realised that this was a more effective approach to take.”

Feb 25/09: EA-18L Growler Lite? Media reports indicate that an export variant will soon be offered. The ALQ-99 radar jamming pod is still considered top secret, even though some of its hardware is a generation or two behind, and the program to field its replacement Next Generation Jammer has already begun.

Instead, export versions would reply on 2 components. Northrop Grumman’s ALQ-218v2 is a digital wideband radio frequency receiver, with selective jamming and geo-location capabilities. It currently equips the EA-18G’s wingtip pods, and the US Navy’s EA-6B Prowlers. Raytheon’s internally-mounted ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system makes use of a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording; but the removal of the ALQ-99 pods would remove its complex jamming functions, unless a foreign-made pod could be integrated with it instead. The export EA-18 would also ship with Raytheon’s APG-79 AESA radar, which equips existing EA-18Gs and F/A-18E/F Block II aircraft, and could be used as a jammer with additional software development.

The combination would be a strong SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) option, albeit one with less stealth than the F-35A. It would allow EA-18 Lites to geo-locate identified radar emitters, for instance, then target them with GPS-enabled anti-radiation missiles like AARGM. These capabilities could also be supplemented by foreign radar jamming pods bought on the international market, in order to create an aircraft with capabilities comparable to the EA-18G. Flight
International | StrategyPage.

Feb 25/09: Raptor Killer. Stephen Trimble photographs a kill decal on EA-1, the 1st of 2 Lot 27 F/A-18Fs converted into flying EA-18G prototypes. Turns out, the kill decal is a F-22A Raptor, making EA-1 one of the few aircraft to ever achieve this feat:

“I did learn the EA-18G kill was courtesy of a well-timed AIM-120 AMRAAM shot. And I learned the simulated combat exercise took place at Nellis AFB. How the EA-18G escort jammer got the shot, and whether its jamming system played a role in the incident were not questions the pilot was prepared to answer.”

Dec 23/08: An unfinalized contract with a ceiling price of $50.3 million, to buy time critical parts (TCP) for 22 Full Rate Production (FRP) Airborne Electronic Attack systems. They will be fitted into the FY 2009 buy of 22 EA-18Gs. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in May 2009. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-09-C-0086).

Dec 23/08: A $21.2 million firm-fixed-price, cost plus fixed fee modification to a previously awarded delivery order contract (N00383-06-D-001J) for integrated contractor engineering, logistics, and equipment to support the EA-18G.

Work will be performed in Bethpage, NY (60%) and St. Louis, MO (40%), and is expected to be complete in December 2010, but $7.2 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Dec 1/08: A $95 million delivery order under a previously-awarded Performance Based Logistics contract for spares in support of the EA-18G Growler. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (40%), and El Segundo, CA (60%), and is expected to be complete by September 2011. The Naval Inventory Control Point manages this contract (N00383-06-D-001J-TH00).

Nov 30/08: Aviation Week reports that the USAF (F-35A) and US Marines (F-35B STOVL) are moving toward plans that would let them convert F-35s into electronic attack aircraft that would serve alongside the EA-18Gs. Plans aren’t yet firm, but officials apparently hope that the F-35’s extremely advanced electronics and sensors, combined with parallel efforts like the Next Generation Jammer program, will allow the planes to be used as “EA-35s” without requiring dedicated and modified airframes.

In a world where small pods that can clip onto any fighter in the fleet have completely replaced dedicated “RF-” reconaissance fighters, the idea of a parallel development for “EA-” fighters does not seem ridiculous. See DID’s October 2005 “Supersonic SIGINT…” for more. Nevertheless, any program to create a full EF-35 capability will face challenging technical questions. An EW specialist interviewed by Aviation Week explained some of them:

”...if it’s in an external pod, [the extra radar reflectivity] will give away the aircraft’s location. Yet, if you put the guts of an NGJ into the weapon bays of a single-engine single-generator aircraft in order to maintain all-aspect stealth, you are rapidly going to run out of available power to run it…. [And] If the aircraft has to maintain all-aspect stealth, then how can you do the necessary jamming…. [Plus,] electronic attack is one area where size does matter… an EB-52 carrying large-aperture, active electronically scanned array radar with the output of an electronic techniques generator routed through it can be a very long-range electronic weapon. [Large ilitary aircraft of many types] are also possible platforms for the Next-Generation Jammer. Finally, unmanned aircraft of the [RQ-4] Global Hawk and [MQ-9] Reaper size could have the necessary size, power and payload.”

Nov 21/08 Boeing delivers its first EA-18G Growler maintenance trainer to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, WA, 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Boeing delivered the first fleet EA-18G and an EA-18G aircrew trainer to VAQ-129 in June 2008.

The EA-18G Maintenance Trainer (EAMT) is a set of 3 devices. One is a hardware mockup that represents the gun bay and pallet, and the second represents a wingtip pod. The mockups are used to support training on installation and removal procedures for the Growler’s unique equipment. The third device is the Visual Environment Maintenance Trainer, where student interacts with the trainer via a fully replicated cockpit and displays to test and troubleshoot, while an instructor/operator station controls the simulations and 2 touch-screen displays provide graphical representations of the aircraft and support equipment. Boeing release.

Nov 4/08: NAVAIR announces that the EA-18G Growler has moved to Operational Evaluation (OpEval), following initial sea trials on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower [CVN-69] from July 31/08 through Aug 5/08.

Oct 30/08: A $6.5 million modification/ delivery order under a previously awarded contract (N00383-06-D-001J, #0004) to purchase repair-of-repairables support for the E/A-18 G Growler. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and the contract will end when the fiscal year does on Sept 30/09. The Naval Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia, PA manages this contract.

Oct 2/08: The Kitsap Sun reports that Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 has been using the USS John C. Stennis [CVN 75] as part of the EA-18G’s Operation Evaluation (OpEval), which includes carrier night landings and tests of the new electronic components’ durability under the controlled crash conditions of carrier landings.

Cmdr. Al Bradford, the squadron’s electronic warfare branch head, described this effort as “the final exam for the aircraft.”

FY 2008

Sept 25/08: A $206.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00019-07-C-0035) for 21 Airborne Electronic Attack Kits: 18 EA-18G low-rate initial production II kits, 3 EA-18G FY 2008 supplemental funding Kits, and associated non-recurring engineering. These kits are installed during conversion of the F/A-18F airframe to an EA-18G aircraft; see also June 13/08 entry.

Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (45%); Bethpage, NY (22%); St. Louis, MO (13.5%); Melbourne, FL (5%); Fort Wayne, IN (4.7%); Thousand Oaks, CA (4.2%); Wallingford, CT (2.5%); Nashua, NH (2.4%); and Westminster, CO (0.7%), and is expected to be complete in November 2010.

Sept 25/08: A $6.7 million modification to a previously awarded cost plus award fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) for 13 EA-18G trade studies to delineate technical solutions for improved EA-18G functionality and/or correction of identified deficiencies.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (60%); Bethpage, NY (30%); and Baltimore, MD (10%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009.

Sept 18/08: A $14.6 million ceiling-priced delivery order contract for spares in support of the EA-18G Growler aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete by March 2011. The Naval Inventory Control Point manages this contract.

Sept 18/08: A $13 million ceiling priced modification to delivery order under a previously awarded contract (N00383-06-D-001J, #0004) for support equipment and engineering support for the EA-18G Growler aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete by April 2010. This contract was not competitively procured by The Naval Inventory Control Point.

Aug 5/08: A $659.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014), exercising the option for 13 F/A-18Fs and 3 E/A-18G aircraft for the U.S. Navy. Note that these are just airframes, without key components like radar, engines, and other associated equipment. The full cost of the delivered aircraft is significantly higher.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (28.7%); El Segundo, CA (25%); Goleta, CA (8.6%); Clearwater, FL (2.3%); Greenlawn, NY (2.1%); Burnsville, MN (2.1%); Johnson City, NY (2.1%); Brooklyn Heights, OH (2%); Vandalia, OH (2%); Grand Rapids, MI (2%); South Bend, IN (2%); Mesa, AZ (1.8%); Fort Worth, TX (1.8%); and at various locations across the United States (17.5%), and is expected to be complete in January 2012.

Aug 5/08: The EA-18G Test Team at NAWCWD China Lake conducts its first AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) test. HARM is designed to seek and destroy enemy air defense radars; it will be replaced by the AGM-88E AARGM beginning in 2010. Source.

July 31/08 – Aug 5/08: Initial sea trials on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower [CVN-69] involve 319 approaches, 62 catapult shots and 62 arrested landings. They had originally been scheduled over 10 days, but that time was cut in half. VX-23 Sqn’s EA-18G department head, Cmdr. Jaime Engdahl describes some of their innovative responses in the NAVAIR release, and notes their combined use of developmental testers and operational testers in the cockpit at the same time. Engdahl:

“In OpEval, the operational testers already have hundreds of hours of flight testing, they know what the systems are like, they have input into design changes and potential problems. The real benefit is the Fleet gets a better product earlier.”

July 23/08: The EA-18G Test Team at NAWCWD China Lake conducts its first AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-To-Air Missile (AMRAAM) live fire. While jamming threat systems located at Echo range, the Growler engaged and fired on the BQM-74E target drone. Airborne chase cameras as well as optical trackers on the target drone confirmed safe weapon separation, followed by a very close missile pass to the target drone. It was scored as a hit, since the AMRAAM warhead uses a proximity fuze.

This event marks the first release of any live weapons by an EA-18G. It also distinguishes the EA-18G by virtue of its air-air capability; other electronic warfare aircraft have traditionally relied on short range missiles like Sidewinders for self-protection. NAVAIR release.

June 24/08: Contract modification #0012 to a previously awarded contract (N00383-06-D-001J, order number 0004) for the purchase of initial spares in support of the E/A-18G Growler. Orders will be placed as needed, but this contract cannot exceed $45.7 million.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and will be complete July 2010. The Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) in Philadelphia, PA manages the contract.

June 13/08: A $17.6 million modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00019-04-C-0014 will incorporate engineering change Proposal 6251 and 6251R1. That proposal involves converting 18 of production Lot 32’s F/A-18F aircraft to EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (70%), El Segundo, CA (29%), and Mesa, AZ (1%), and is expected to be complete in September 2010.

Boeing representatives confirm that this contract involves the routine process of converting basic F/A-18F production airframes into EA-18Gs, as part of the joint multi-year contract (Super Hornet MYP-II). This particular contract will install all of the required fittings et. al. that are necessary for the Growler’s specialized equipment. The actual contract for that equipment (wingtip pods, electronics “black boxes” et. al.) and its installation will follow later, as another modification.

June 3/08: Boeing delivers the first fleet EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft to the U.S. Navy’s VAQ-129 Vikings Electronic Attack Squadron at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA ahead of schedule and within budget. The Vikings are a Fleet Readiness squadron, which means they’ll be the training squadron for all EA-18G pilots.

The delivery follows 5 test aircraft, and the Growler is scheduled to enter Operational Evaluation in September 2008. If OpEval goes well, the aircraft will be moved from Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) to full-rate production. Boeing release | US Navy.

May 14/08: Boeing holds a grand opening for its new EA-18G Growler Support Center (GSC) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA. The center will provide technical and logistics support for the EA-18s once the Navy accepts the first fleet Growler at the aircraft’s NAS Whidbey Island home base in early June of 2008.

The GSC will house approximately 24 representatives from the Navy and the Hornet/Growler industry team of Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and General Electric. The center, along with the base’s existing supply chain management facility, will ensure that logistics support for new Growlers is readily available, per the FIRST performance-based maintenance contract for the US Navy’s Super Hornet fleet. Boeing release.

March 14/08: A $28.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0035) for time-critical parts in support of the EA-18G’s Low Rate Initial Production II (LRIP II) Airborne Electronic Attack kits. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be complete in April 2008.

March 5/08: Small business and native business qualifer Alutiiq International Solutions, LLC in Anchorage, AK received a $21.2 million firm-fixed-price design/build contract for facility improvements at the Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island. The firm will upgrade existing facilities, and undertake some new construction in order to support the EA-18G aircraft.

Work will be performed in Oak Harbor, WA, and is expected to be complete by April 2011. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website, with 2 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest in Silverdale, WA (N44255-08-C-6009).

Nov 19/07:The Pentagon releases their latest Selected Acquisition Report, and the EA-18G is on it:

“The SAR was submitted to rebaseline the report from a Development to a Production estimate following approval of Low Rate Initial Production (Milestone C) in July 2007. Program costs increased $321.5 million (+3.8%) from $8,368.0 million to $8,689.5 million, due primarily to a quantity increase of five aircraft from 80 to 85 aircraft.”

FY 2007

Aug 31/07: A $122.3 million cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0035) for 8 of the EA-18G’s Low-Rate Initial Production I (LRIP I) Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Kits and associated non-recurring engineering. In addition, this modification includes an unfinalized contract action for one FY 2007 supplemental funding EA-18G LRIP I AEA Kit, which would bring the total to 9.

Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (51.2%); St. Louis, MO (11.1%); Bethpage, NY (10.2%); Melbourne, FL (8.5%); Fort Wayne, IN (8.5%); Thousand Oaks, CA (4.4%); Wallingford, CT (2.6%); Nashua, NH (2.6%); and Westminster, CO (0.9%), and is expected to be complete in December 2009.

Aug 31/07: A $13 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) for the procurement of additional factory test equipment in support of the EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (78.3%); St. Louis, MO (11.6%) and Bethpage, NY (10.1%), and is expected to be complete in April 2009.

Aug 22/07: $40 million for delivery order #0002 under previously awarded contract (N00383-06-D-001J), to purchase initial spares in support of the E/A-18 G Growler. Work will be performed at St. Louis, MO and is to be complete by May 2009. The Naval Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract.

August 6/07: A $10 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) for the design, development, fabrication/assembly and qualification of up to 20 EA-18G Extended Low Band Radomes. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (55%) and Mesa, AZ (45%), and is expected to be complete in September 2009.

April 21/07 NAVAIR announces that the EA-18G Growler has finished an ambitious regimen of flight tests, concurrently completing both system developmental testing and an independent fleet operational assessment within the first 90 days of flight test. Feedback from operational testers is being immediately incorporated into development of the platform and its systems.

The EA-18G mission systems test team and aircrew from Flight Test and Evaluation Squadrons VX-23 at Pax River, VX-31 and VX-9 at NAWS China Lake, CA and Boeing contractor crews used EA-18G prototypes EA-1 and EA-2, logging over 100 hours of flight tests plus additional range testing as of late March 2007.

As one example of its success, the program schedule required the Growler to radiate ALQ-99 pods in a Pax River chamber by the end of February. As a result of early software delivery and solid system performance, the EA-18G test team was able to demonstrate this jamming capability in December 2006, radiate jammers in-flight by the end of January 2007, and ensure that jamming functions did not interfere with safe operation of any on-board systems across the entire ALQ-99 radiation spectrum. See full NAVAIR release: “Growler zaps through initial testing.”

Feb 16/07 A $6.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for time-critical parts in support of the EA-18G Low Rate Initial Production I Airborne Electronic Attack kits. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in April 2007. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-07-C-0035).

FY 2006

Sept 22/06: The first test aircraft EA-1 is delivered to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD. EA-2 is scheduled to follow it by the end of 2006.

Aug 3/06: At the formal rollout ceremony for the EA-18G, Boeing presented the aircraft to a crowd of more than 750 U.S. Navy customers, industry partners and Boeing employees at its Integrated Defense Systems facilities in St. Louis, MO. U.S. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations and guest speaker at the ceremony, said: “It is clear that the demand for electronic warfare is not only going to remain high, but is going to grow…”

June 30/06: An $82.4 million cost-plus-award-fee modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract for the first production representative lot of airborne electronic attack (AEA) kits for the EA-18G aircraft. This modification provides for the procurement of four AEA kits, spares, and support equipment. Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (42.5%); Bethpage, NY (28.2%); St. Louis, MO (18%); Fort Wayne, IN (4.8%); Nashua, NH (2%); Melbourne, FL (1.6%); Wallingford, CT (1.6%); and Westminster, CO (1.3%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008.

June 29/06: A $19 million firm-fixed price modification to the previously awarded firm-fixed-price with economic price adjustment F/A-18E/F airframes Multi-Year II (MYP II) contract. This modification provides for incorporation of Engineering Change Proposal 6251 to convert four Lot 30 F/A-18F aircraft to EA-18G system development and demonstration aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (55%); El Segundo, CA (42%); and Mesa, AZ (3%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008.

May 30/06: The Boeing EA-18G program test team flew a modified F/A-18F equipped with wingtip antenna and high- and low-band jamming pods for the first time, as part of ongoing flying qualities and carrier suitability testing to validate the EA-18G’s shipboard effectiveness. See Boeing release.

Feb 17/06: Honeywell International, Inc., Defense and Space Electronic Systems in Albuquerque, NM receives a $7.9 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-05-C-0033) to exercise an option for the full rate production of five-inch-by five-inch (5” x 5”) forward and aft advance multi-purpose displays (AMPDs) for forward fit in Lot 30 F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft, and retrofit into Lots 22-24. This option provides for the procurement of 96 forward AMPDs (84 for forward fit into F/A-18E/F, 8 for forward fit into EA-18G, 8 for retrofit, and 9 spares) and 40 aft 5×5 AMPDs (26 for forward fit into F/A-18E/F, 8 for forward fit into E/A-18G, 4 for retrofit, and 2 spares). Work will be performed in Albuquerque, NM, and is expected to be complete in February 2008.

Feb 06/06: Boeing announces that the U.S. Navy has approved their test plans and processes for integrating several key subsystems into the EA-18G Growler. Successful completion of its first two test readiness reviews (TRR) in January 2005 and November 2005 allows Boeing to begin developing and integrating the systems at Boeing labs in St. Louis. The reviews focused on several key areas of the aircraft’s software: mission computer, electronic attack unit, the stores management system, interference blanking unit, the ALE-47 countermeasures system, EA-18G instrumentation system, mission planning and integration of the digital memory device.

Engineers will now focus on integration of EA-18G Build 1, the first of two builds of the airborne electronic attack aircraft software. The aircraft’s initial flight is scheduled for fall 2006 or early 2007, and EA-18G lab features like high-speed links and the Facility Automated Set-up and Test, or FAST architecture are designed to help engineers to meet the integration schedule. See Boeing release for further details.

Jan 31/06: A $19.7 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) for modeling and simulation, design, and development of a training system for the EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Arlington, TX (50%) and St. Louis, MO (50%), and is expected to be completed in June 2008.

Nov 8/05: Boeing completes the initial laboratory verification of the EA-18G tactical aircraft’s Interference Cancellation (INCANS) system, and demonstrates the system’s capabilities during aircraft ground testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD. The INCANS system will allow the EA-18G to conduct voice communications over UHF radio with friendly forces while simultaneously jamming enemy communications, a difficult trick. The current EA-6B Prowler, for example, can’t do this. See Boeing release.

FY 2005

Sept 1/05: An estimated value $6.4 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) to develop, integrate, test and deliver 13 mission planning interfaces for the EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL (79%) and St. Louis, MO (21%), and is expected to be complete in August 2008.

Aug 17/05: An $8.3 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) to provide modeling and simulation; design and development for a training system for the EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (50%), and Arlington, TX (50%) and is expected to be completed in June 2008. Covered by DID.

July 13/05: A $500 million not-to-exceed indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of new F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Trainer and Training Systems, upgrading existing systems, and including a full range of analysis; modeling and simulation; design, development; production; modification; test and evaluation, delivery; refurbishment; relocation; and product support of all training systems for the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps’ aircraft platforms. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO, and is expected to be completed in July 2010. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL (N61339-05-D-0003).

FY 2002 – 2004

Oct 21/04: Boeing Begins Work on First EA-18G Test Aircraft.

Sept 27/04: A $7 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-04-C-0005) to provide additional fault isolation in the ALQ-218 (V)2 Tactical Jamming Receiver components in support of the EA-18G System Development and Demonstration. Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (73%); St. Louis, MO (14%) and Bethpage, NY (13%); and is expected to be complete in September 2009.

Dec 29/03: A $979 million ceiling-priced cost-plus-award-fee contract for system development and demonstration (SDD) of the E/A-18G weapon system. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (55%); Bethpage, NY (25%); Baltimore, MD (15%); El Segundo, CA (2%); St. Augustine, FL (1%); Hollywood, MD (1%); and Camarillo, CA (1%), and is expected to be complete in December 2009. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-04-C-0005). The 5-year SDD program for the EA-18G runs from FY 2004 until early FY 2009 and encompasses all laboratory, ground test, and flight tests from component level testing through full-up EA-18G weapons system performance flight-testing. See also Boeing corporate release.

Dec 18/03: The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) receives Milestone B approval to proceed into EA-18G System Development and Demonstration (SD&D). Approval was granted by Michael Wynne, acting under secretary of defense, (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics).

The EA-18G contract team received its first pre-SD&D contract in September 2002 to support preparation efforts for the SD&D phase, and an SD&D contract is expected shortly. The 5-year SD&D program is expected to run from FY 2004 to mid FY 2009, and encompasses all laboratory, ground test, and flight tests from component level testing, through full-up EA-18G weapons system performance flight-testing. NAVAIR announcement.

Nov 15/01: Boeing Successfully Completes Initial EA-18 Flight Demonstration.

Appendix A: The EA-18G and the Future Force Mix

The question of exactly where and how the new Growlers will fit into the future force remains a live issue. There has been a serious absence of integrated direction and planning in the Pentagon over the last decade re: the future of airborne electronic warfare platforms, and a relatively low priority assigned to dedicated “Wild Weasel” (anti-SAM) or electronic attack capabilities. This has arguably taken place in an environment where current capabilities remained “good enough.” The result, however, may be a lack of a clear niche in terms of establishing the EA-18G’s mission breadth and concept of operations (CONOPS).

At the moment, the assumption must be that the EA-18G will do it all for the US military as a tactical strike jammer. Despite the existence of the turboprop-driven EC-130H Compass Call, wavering interest in EB-52 SOJ long-range bomber jammers for the USAF, and the potential to create USAF and US Marine electronic attack F-35 Lightning IIs and F-22A Raptors by leveraging their vast installed capabilities, the EA-18G Growler is currently slated to be the only dedicated aircraft in this niche.

While EA-18Gs will fit in very well with the USAF’s F-16s and F-15 Strike Eagles, and with their Super Hornet counterparts, operational challenges arise in pairing them with the stealthier F-35 Lightning II fighters slated for use by the USAF, Marines, and Navy; or with “Global Strike” teams of stealthy F-22As and B-2 bombers. Long-range aircraft like the B-52 or B-1 also present potential operational challenges, due to the EA-18G’s range.

As effective AWACS aerial surveillance aircraft and ever more sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems being exported around the world, the answers to such challenges will matter. The Growlers aren’t scheduled to enter service until 2009, and the F-35 Lightning II may be delayed to 2015. The EA-18Gs will be invaluable during that 6 year interim and beyond, as a key accompaniment to the legacy force. By 2010, however, with the F-22 production line coasting to a close, Reagan-era aircraft beginning to retire, and a new set of partner aircraft and threat capabilities on the horizon, deeper thinking about the US military’s long-term airborne electronic attack capabilities and composition will be required.

The Growler squadrons will undoubtedly be necessary – but will they be enough?

FOOTNOTES

(1) Note that this doesn’t make the EA-6Bs the USA’s only electronic warfare aicraft. The US also has 13 “Compass Call” EC-130H Hercules variants, and these 4-engine turboprops offer long-endurance coverage that extends over very wide areas. Unlike an EA-6B or EA-18G, they won’t accompany strike packages directly. They do train to support tactical aircraft as they cross behind the forward edge of the battlespace (FEBA), while remaining behind the FEBA line themselves and blanketing a wide area with bogus primary targets, secondary targets, and targets of opportunity for enemy missiles and aircraft. They are also very well suited to providing persistent coverage for key convoys and other missions in-theater during “small wars” campaigns, and monitoring cell phone frequencies over wide areas.

The pending growth in stealthy and/or supercruising opposing fighters, coupled with longer-range air-to-air and ground-launched anti-aircraft missiles, is going to push FEBAs back sharply during state-to-state conflicts. That’s likely to magnify the strategic EW fleet’s role, in order to provide a protective cloak of misdirection that lets key strategic assets like aerial tankers and AWACS planes remain close enough to support allied fighters. The future strategic EW fleet will involve a tension between follow-on EC-130Js or similar aircraft to replace the EC-130H fleet, vs. a more distributed capability based on the USA’s Next-Generation Jammer, or similar pods that might equip most strategic assets sent near harm’s way. [return to article]

Additional Readings and Sources

• DID FOCUS Article – The USA’s 2005-2009 Multi-Year Hornet Procurement Contract. It covers F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, and a number of common equipment sets shared with the EA-18G.

• Boeing – EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack Aircraft. See also Boeing’s quick platform overview [PDF format].

• SoliderTech – ON THE PROWL: The EA-18G Growler

• DID Spotlight Article – New APG-79 AESA Radars for Super Hornets

• Raytheon – AN/APG-79 AESA Radar

• GE Engines – Model F414

• GlobalSecurity.org – AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS)

• Avionics Magazine (March 2008) – Teeth of the Growler

• Australian Air Power (updated 2005) – Anatomy of the TacJammer.

• WIRED Danger Room (July /09) – U.S. Boosts Secretive Jammer Fleet. “Last week, the small [EC-130H] Compass Call detachment at Bagram airbase, in Afghanistan, marked its 2,000th Afghanistan mission….”

• US Air Force Association Magazine (May 18/07) – Resurrecting the Standoff Jammer. The B-52 SOJ may fly despite a previous program cancellation, thanks in part to development work done on the EA-18G. Problem: the B-52 SOJ won’t fly until 2015, 3 years after the EA-6B Prowlers are retired… and Navy officials say the EA-18G is not the perfect solution to completely fill that gap. See also this March 27/07 short report.

• US Congressional Research Service (updated June 8/06) – Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

• DID (Jan 26/06) – Electronic Warfare Systems a $28 Bn Market Over Next Decade

• DID (Nov 22/05) – More F-18 Super Hornets Possible for USA, Exports

• Aviation Week’s Aerospace Daily (Nov 9/05) – U.S. Navy Eyes New Jammer, Other Upgrades For EA-18G.

• DID (Oct 28/05) – Jamming With the B-52s. Re the EB-52 SOJ proposal, which was cut.

• DID (Oct 22/05) – Supersonic SIGINT: Will F-35, F-22 Also Play EW Role?

• Winds of Change.NET (Jan 16/03) – Interview with a Weasel Pilot.