Boeing Delivers First EA-18G to USN

From FlightGlobal:

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PICTURES: Boeing delivers first EA-18G 'Growler' to US Navy
By Stephen Trimble

Boeing on 25 September delivered the first of 90 planned EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the US Navy.

The first aircraft - named “G1” - was accepted by Delores Etter, assistant secretary of the navy for research, development and acquisition, at a delivery ceremony at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' headquarters in St Louis, Missouri.

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© Boeing


“The Growler team has remained on cost and schedule, while meeting or exceeding all performance parameters,” said Etter.

However, she also released a statement that appeared to downgrade the number of EA-18Gs that the navy intends to buy. The service's original plans called for buying a fleet of 90 aircraft, derived from Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter.

“We have a great start to a total procurement of over 80 Gs, which will operate in our fleet for decades to come,” Etter said.

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© Boeing


Flight testing of the EA-18G is expected to conclude during 2008, with the aircraft scheduled to achieve initial operational capability in 2009, when it will begin to replace the USN's Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers.

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ok, so my question is how does the EA-18 differ from the F/A-18? are the WSO's panels any different due to the different mission? is this airplane capale of supporting inflight refueling the way the EA-6Bs used to be?

once the EA-6Bs are totally gone, is the S-2 going to be the only non-boeing airplane in the USN's carrier-borne fleet?

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Originally Posted by cancidas

once the EA-6Bs are totally gone, is the S-2 going to be the only non-boeing airplane in the USN's carrier-borne fleet?

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There are still the E2C's, which will be around for quite some time. And don't you mean S3's?

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Originally Posted by GrummanFan

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Originally Posted by cancidas

once the EA-6Bs are totally gone, is the S-2 going to be the only non-boeing airplane in the USN's carrier-borne fleet?

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There are still the E2C's, which will be around for quite some time. And don't you mean S3's?

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no i meant the S-2 trackers. weren't the S-3s replaced by SH-60s for ASW roles?

S-2 trackers were retired from US Navy service in 1976. They were replaced by the S-3 Viking. The EA-6b Prowler replaced the EA-6A which looked just like an A-6 Intruder (2 seater) but had the football antenna on the vertical like an EA-6B (4 seats). The growler will replace this aircraft. At this rate the Navy will have EA-2C Hawkeyehornets too. The air wing will be all hornets. If they could make a Hornet hover, they would do that too! Too many Hornets.

True, way too many hornets.

so what types are actually in the navy's inventory and are deployed on the carriers? there's the F/A-18, E-2C, EA-6B and the C-2A? haev all the S-3s been sent to the desert already?

what's the difference between the E-2 and the C-2? i mean, aside from the obvious...

Here's a list of what is currently in the Navy's inventory. It appears that there are still a few S3's in service.

http://www.stevesairshow.com/air-wings.html

The E2C takes care of electronic warfare and jamming and such, whereas the C-2 is a cargo plane, but its essentially the same structure as the E2C.

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is this airplane capale of supporting inflight refueling the way the EA-6Bs used to be?

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Some versions of the E/F Super Bugs are used for in-flight refueling. I wouldn't imagine they'd use the G's to do that.