An increased capability (ICAP) III EA-6B Prowler arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Nov. 21 for ground and flight testing headed by the Naval Air Systems Command EA-6B Program Office (PMA-234).

The aircraft is one of two prototypes being modified by Northrop Grumman for the Navy's ICAP III evaluation. The first ICAP III Prowler logged a successful first flight Nov. 16 from the contractor’s facility in St. Augustine, Fla. The second test aircraft is expected to fly early next year.

Prowlers are carrier-based aircraft designed to electronically jam radar and communication systems. Current Prowlers jam radar by transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency ranges to "blind" adversary radars operating within each range.

ICAP III takes that energy and focuses it on the specific frequency of the threat radar. Sophisticated software in ICAP III enables the system to change the jamming frequency as quickly as modern radars change theirs to avoid jamming. Other ICAP III improvements include an integrated communications jamming system, a provision for the Navy's Link 16 data link, and new displays and controls.

“The ICAP III system has become the “Gold Standard” of electronic attack (EA) performance against which all other EA systems will be measured,” said Capt. John Scheffler, EA-6B program manager. “ICAP III is to the EA mission what precision-guided weapons are to strike warfare.”

Plans call for the system to be installed in current fleet EA-6B Prowlers. Initial operational capability for the fleet is slated for 2005.

Call Renee Hatcher at 301-757-5138 for more information on this release.)

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Photos by Renee Hatcher
An increased capability III EA-6B Prowler arrives at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Nov. 21 for ground and flight testing.