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US Navy's Next-Generation Electronic Attack Aircraft Begins Assembly

NAVAIR

Release Date: 7/02/2004

Press Release Number: E200407021

Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft, NAVAIR Patuxent River, MD.

A new era in Naval aviation was launched on Thursday, July 1, 2004 as assembly began for the first EA-18G aircraft, the next-generation electronic attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy that combines the combat-proven F/A-18 Super Hornet with state-of-the-art electronic warfare avionics suite. Mechanics of Northrop Grumman loaded the first bulkhead components for this new aircraft into the assembly tooling at the manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif. The milestone comes just over six months after EA-18G prime contractor, The Boeing Company, began the EA-18G program's system development and demonstration (SDD) phase.

On hand to watch the ceremonial assembly begin was CDR Mark W. Darrah, NAVAIR EA-18G Deputy Program Manager. Commenting to the EA-18G's integrated Navy and Industry team he said, "All of you are part of a revolutionary effort to bring the EA-18G weapon system into the fleet in record time. We signed a contract with our industry partners in December and 6 months and 1 day later we see our first test asset begin production!"

Darrah continued, "Everything this team has done over the past 18 months has been focused and directed toward one goal.....providing the fleet users with a capability that will revolutionize the way carrier Air Wings will conduct strike operations in the future. We would not be where we are today without each of you staying focused on that goal!"

The EA-18G will feature an airborne electronic attack suite based on Northrop Grumman's Improved Capability III (ICAP III) system, a radically new jamming and information warfare system currently in low rate initial production for the EA-6B Prowler.

"Electronic warfare has become an essential, high demand tool for protecting U.S. and allied forces engaged in the global war on terrorism, a capability provided day-in, day-out by the Navy's fleet of EA-6B Prowlers," said Patricia McMahon, Northrop Grumman's vice president for electronic warfare programs. "When the ICAP III based EA-18G enters service, it will become the most powerful weapon yet in the Navy's electronic warfare tool kit."

Recognizing the utility and versatility of the Super Hornet, the Navy is modifying the F/A-18F to perform the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) mission currently being flown by the EA-6B Prowlers. The EA-18G will serve as the Navy's replacement for the fleet of EA-6Bs providing a capability to detect, identify, locate, and suppress hostile emitters.

Northrop Grumman expects to deliver the first EA-18G fuselage shipset to Boeing in March 2005 that will become one of two test aircraft produced for the SDD phase of development. The EA-18G is expected to enter initial operational capability in 2009.