{"id":62647,"date":"2025-12-31T21:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T20:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=62647"},"modified":"2026-01-05T19:46:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:46:00","slug":"ea-18g-growler-the-us-and-australian-plane-that-fights-in-the-electromagnetic-spectrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/12\/31\/ea-18g-growler-the-us-and-australian-plane-that-fights-in-the-electromagnetic-spectrum\/","title":{"rendered":"EA-18G Growler, the US and Australian plane that fights in the electromagnetic spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today, technology makes electronic warfare as important as conventional warfare when it comes to aviation.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/12\/29\/night-operations-by-super-hornet-naval-fighter-jets-with-an-eye-on-venezuela\/\">Night operations by Super Hornet naval fighter jets with an eye on Venezuela<\/a><\/rel><br \/>\n<rel><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/07\/27\/why-do-some-pilots-take-off-from-aircraft-carriers-without-touching-the-flight-stick\/\">Why do some pilots take off from aircraft carriers without touching the flight stick?<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n<p><strong>The United States has been operating fighter jets dedicated to combat in the electromagnetic spectrum<\/strong> for many years now, degrading, interfering with, and destroying enemy air defenses. Today, one of the best YouTube channels I follow on aeronautical matters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@flybywire-aviation\/featured\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fly By Wire Aviation<\/a>, <strong>has published an interesting video about the Boeing EA-18G Growler<\/strong>, an electronic warfare aircraft used exclusively by the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The video is in Spanish; you can activate automatic English subtitles in the bottom bar of the player.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Boeing EA-18G Growler &quot;El Guardi\u00e1n Electr\u00f3nico de la U.S. NAVY&quot;\" width=\"665\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uM1LFZ5Uw0s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The United States already had experience with electronic warfare aircraft.<\/strong> The United States Air Force (USAF) had already operated aircraft specifically for these missions, such as the <strong>McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel<\/strong> (made from the F-4E Phantom II fighter) and the <strong>General Dynamics\/Grumman EF-111A Raven<\/strong> (the electronic warfare version of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark fighter-bomber).<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016383565_6f55e0f816_o.jpg?s=eyJpIjo1NTAxNjM4MzU2NSwiZSI6MTc2NzIxMzg1OSwicyI6IjU0NTc4Njc2YmUzZTVkZGE2MzRmYmJkOTZjZmU5ZTFhMWI2NzQ2MmUiLCJ2IjoxfQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016383565_c1284ef523_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">An EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on November 24, 2025 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvidshub.net\/image\/9409567\/abraham-lincoln-conducts-flight-operations\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Navy<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p><strong>In addition, the US had already operated two naval electronic warfare aircraft<\/strong> developed from the A-6 Intruder naval bomber: <strong>the EA-6A Electric Intruder<\/strong> (a two-seater aircraft operated by the Marines, of which only 18 units were made and which served during the Vietnam War) and <strong>the EA-6B Prowler<\/strong>, a four-seater aircraft operated by the Navy and Marines, of which 170 units were built and which entered service in 1971, being retired between 2015 (Navy) and 2019 (Marines).<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016248468_66fa97f9b8_o.jpg?s=eyJpIjo1NTAxNjI0ODQ2OCwiZSI6MTc2NzIxMzk0MywicyI6IjBkYzE1ZTU2NGI0NmFhNWQxMDE5MmIwOTFiNzU1M2EyYjI3MDRlMGQiLCJ2IjoxfQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016248468_31d77f873c_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">An EA-18G Growler of No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Amberley, Australia, on April 1, 2025 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvidshub.net\/image\/8953257\/marine-aerial-refueler-transport-squadron-153-trains-australia\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Marine Corps<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p><strong>The development of the EA-18G Growler began in 2001 with the purpose of replacing the EA-6B Prowler.<\/strong> The new aircraft was based on the new F\/A-18E\/F Super Hornet multirole naval combat aircraft, sharing more than 90% of its components. <strong>In 2003, the US Navy signed a contract with Boeing for 90 EA-18Gs.<\/strong> Unlike its predecessor, and as was the case with the Super Hornet, the EA-18G is not operated by the US Marine Corps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016330544_99c338bb76_o.jpg?s=eyJpIjo1NTAxNjMzMDU0NCwiZSI6MTc2NzIxNDA3MCwicyI6IjgwYjdlZjRjZWE4OTQ1MjEwODEzZGJlOGZjNGZmZWIxMWFjYTczMzQiLCJ2IjoxfQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016330544_c4d4cea3b1_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">An EA-18G from the US Navy's Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on December 17, 2025. The aircraft carries an AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile and an external fuel tank under its starboard wing. One of its AN\/ALQ-218 radar warning receivers is visible at the wingtip. (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvidshub.net\/image\/9460321\/abraham-lincoln-conducts-routine-flight-operations\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Navy<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p><strong>The first Growlers arrived in the US Navy in 2008.<\/strong> Since then, a total of 153 have equipped 16 electronic attack squadrons (VAQ), in addition to three test squadrons (VX). <strong>In the US, the Growler is also used by a USAF unit<\/strong>, the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, based at NAS Whidbey Island (Washington, a naval air station), which provides electronic warfare training to EA-18G crews. A<strong>ustralia decided to purchase the Growler for its Royal Air Force (RAAF) in 2008, having received 13 aircraft<\/strong> (12 from the initial batch, delivered between 2015 and 2017, and one more delivered by the US in 2023 as compensation for an Australian Growler that caught fire due to a manufacturing defect).<\/p>\n<div class=\"foto_piedefoto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016248458_06a4f989a3_o.jpg?s=eyJpIjo1NTAxNjI0ODQ1OCwiZSI6MTc2NzIxNDE5NiwicyI6ImY0ZjQwZjYxNWE3MTU2YjIyMjVmZDNlYzkyMmJlOTk3MTdhZmNhZTAiLCJ2IjoxfQ\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55016248458_03fd92dbb8_c.jpg\" style=\"width:100%; height:auto; border:0px;\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"piedefoto\">An AN\/ALQ-99 electronic warfare pod under the starboard wing of an EA-18G from the US Navy's Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), sailing in the Caribbean Sea on November 25, 2025 (Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvidshub.net\/image\/9424994\/vaq-142-flight-operations\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Navy<\/a>).<\/div>\n<p><strong>Externally, the Growler is very similar to the Super Hornet, but it lacks the M-61 Vulcan cannon in the nose<\/strong> (its place is taken by an electronic attack system, limiting its air-to-air armament to two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles on fuselage pylons), and <strong>instead of wingtip pylons for AIM-9 missiles, it has AN\/ALQ-218 radar warning receivers<\/strong>. Like the Super Hornet, it has six underwing pylons and three ventral pylons for external stores. <strong>Typically, the Growler's underwing pylons carry AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles<\/strong> (a powerful weapon that puts this aircraft at the forefront of any attack), <strong>AN\/ALQ-99 electronic warfare pods<\/strong>, and external fuel tanks. The EA-18G has two crew members: the pilot and an electronic warfare officer who is in charge of operating the electronic jamming systems of this aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>---<\/p>\n<p><small>Main image: <a href=\"https:\/\/airpower.airforce.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/2021-03\/AP31-The-EA-18-Growler.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Royal Australian Air Force<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, technology makes electronic warfare as important as conventional warfare when it comes to aviation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19534,11545],"tags":[26014,17289,3193,6609,6612,26015,8141,10431,6761,319],"class_list":["post-62647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense-portada-eng","category-navy","tag-390th-electronic-combat-squadron","tag-agm-88-harm","tag-australia","tag-boeing-ea-18g-growler","tag-boeing-fa-18ef-super-hornet","tag-no-6-squadron-raaf","tag-royal-australian-air-force-raaf","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-air-force-usaf","tag-us-navy"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-11 18:32:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62647"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62647\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}