By Chuck Wagner
Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft

The first EA-18G Growler developmental test aircraft arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Friday.

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) Cmdr. Jaime Engdahl and Lt. Matthew Doyle delivered the aircraft, known as EA-1, from Boeing’s St. Louis facilities after a 2 ½-hour flight. The crew was welcomed by a crowd of on-lookers who gathered at the squadron’s Pax River hangar for the mid-afternoon arrival.

VX-23 will perform flight testing on EA-1 and has already conducted a series of aeromechanical test flights on a Super Hornet configured as an EA-18G.

The aircraft will also undergo extensive ground testing at Pax River’s anechoic chamber to assess on-board radar, receiver and jammer compatibility and performance.

“This is obviously a significant milestone in the development of the Navy’s next-generation airborne electronic attack aircraft,” said Cmdr. Paul Overstreet, co-lead of NAVAIR’s EA-18G team. “It marks the beginning of developmental tests and the path of transition from the EA-6B to the EA-18G.”

Overstreet noted the aircraft has arrived one month prior to its scheduled delivery date.
“The Growler continues to meet all performance objectives on track to initial operational capability in fiscal year ’09,” he said.

The aircraft’s early arrival was greeted by squadron members.

“The Integrated Test Team is very excited to finally have an EA-18G mission systems flight test asset here in Pax River,” said Engdahl. “We have been preparing for its arrival for months and I am looking forward to seeing how the whole system performs in developmental test.”

“I am extremely impressed with how well the first aircraft, ALQ-218 system and software came together in the past several months. It is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of the entire EA-18G government and industry team,” Engdahl added.

The integrated test team will begin with a complete systems check of EA-1, followed by Joint Precision and Approach Landing System flights. The aircraft will then move for several months of performance testing in Pax River’s Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility shielded hangar.

The second developmental test aircraft, EA-2, is expected to be delivered in November.
A project for 90 Growler aircraft replaces the four-seat, 30-year-old EA-6B Prowler. The Growler will begin to phase out Prowler squadrons from 2009 to 2013. The first of the jets are to be based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

The EA-18G hosts the EA-6B's latest electronic attack suite of equipment including the ALQ-218(V)2 Tactical Receiver, ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System Pods and the Multi-Mission Advanced Tactical Terminal (MATT). It integrates additional capabilities such as Communications Countermeasures System Receiver and Interference Cancellation technology in an F/A-18F Block II aircraft. The F/A-18 Block II features the Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. These capabilities together will make the Growler a central node in the Navy’s concept of network centric warfare.

_______________________________________________________________
CUTLINE
Navy photo
The first EA-18G developmental test aircraft arrives at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Friday. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 pilots delivered it from Boeing facilities in St. Louis for Navy testing.