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US Navy Orders Five F/A-18E Super Hornets & Seven EA-18G Growlers From Boeing

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Naval Aviation News - USA
 
 
 
US Navy Orders Five F/A-18E Super Hornets & Seven EA-18G Growlers From Boeing
 
The U.S. Navy ordered seven Lot 40 EA-18G Growlers and five F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters from Boeing in a $678.6 million contract. The deal also includes associated airborne electronic attack kits, likely the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ). Raytheon's NGJ solution was selected by the U.S. Navy in 2013 to replace the legacy ALQ-99 systems used on the EA-18G airborne electronic attack aircraft.
     
EA 18G Growler Grounded US Navy 1An EA-18G Growler aboard an aircraft carrier. File picture: US Navy
     
About the Super Hornet
In service with the US Navy since June 2001, the F/A-18E/F is a twin-engine multirole fighter. Besides US, the Super Hornet has already been purchased by Australia, which bought 24 fighters in May 2007 for the Royal Australian Air Force. The aircraft has also been recently by Kuwait in a potential US$ bn foreign military sale, while Canada plans to buy 18 interim F/A-18E/F aircraft as it plans to replace fighter fleet.
     
HMS Artful Astute class SSN Royal NavyAn EA-18G Growler from the "Shadowhawks" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 is stopped by an arresting gear wire after landing aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73)
File picture: US Navy
     
About the Growler
The Boeing EA-18G Growler is 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 EA-18G integrates advanced airborne electronic attack capabilities, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman, with the advanced strike capabilities, including advanced weapons, sensors and communications systems, installed on the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft.

The block 2 Growler is equipped with the APG-79 multi-mode radar with passive detection mode and active radar suppression, ALQ-218(V)2 digital radar warning receiver and ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser.

Boeing delivered the 100th EA-18G Growler aircraft in May 2014. The RAAF ordered 12 of such aircraft in June 2014. The first one was delivered to the RAAF in Ferbuary 2017.