Boeing Unveils EA-18G Growler for Australia
Australia joins the United States as the only two nations to fly the airborne electronic attack platform. The Growler’s radar-jamming devices deceive and frustrate enemy forces and allow strike jets to carry out their missions undetected. The Australian Growler recently made its first flight in St. Louis.
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.[60] On 3 May 2013, the Australian Government announced that it will buy 12 new-build Growlers to supplement the existing Super Hornet fleet.
Australia took delivery of the first of 12 Growlers on 29 July 2015, with delivery of the remaining jets expected by 2017. Uniquely, Australian Growlers will be equipped with the ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod and will also have additional air-to-air weapons in the form of the AIM-9X missile. The aircraft will be operated by No. 6 Squadron RAAF.
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 replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers 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.
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