Grumman EA-6 Prowler

History of the Grumman EA-6 Prowler

For a period in the history of US naval aviation, the Grumman EA-6 Prowler served as the US Navy's only Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA) platform, a role that served exclusively with the US Air Force (USAF) General Dynamics EF-111 "Crow" land-based rotorcraft. The EA-6 originally arose out of a request by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as a support aircraft during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), establishing an evolution from the existing Grumman A-6 Intruder carrier-based strike family.

Platform aircraft - so new aircraft with special equipment can retain all the good characteristics of the operation of the original aircraft carrier.

The USMC replaced their old stock Douglas F3D "Skynights" with the new EA-6s, serving the same EWA role, initially as "A2F-1H" following the 1962 USN naming convention (until later Renamed better known as "EA-6A"). A prototype (two were built) flew for the first time on April 26, 1963 and retained the original two crew members alongside the A-6 strike platform - the brand's main features were the vertically mounted capsule tail and necessary antenna equipment.

Other installations include the AN/APQ-129 (FC??R) fire control radar and the AN/APN-153 navigation radar system. The U.S. Marine Corps received approximately 28 aircraft, 15 of which were Grumman new builds and 11 converted from existing production A-6A models.

The EA-6A served throughout the Vietnam War until its withdrawal around 1970, when the brand was officially retired in 1990.

Then came the EA-6B, which became a more specialized electronic warfare platform. Its fuselage was slightly lengthened to accommodate two additional EWA officers in the rear side-by-side cockpit.

The vertical stabilizer houses the antenna pods as usual, and the FCR and navigation system are state-of-the-art. Signal jammers were added as underwing pods, and gold foil was affixed to the canopy to protect the crew from harmful radiation from external electronics. The brand's development began in 1966 and recorded its maiden flight on May 25, 1968, before its official launch in 1971, and quickly replaced the US Navy's old Douglas "Sky Warrior" in the same EWA role. A total of 170 EA-6B Prowlers were procured by the USN/USMC for use in the 1991 Gulf War and 1999 Vietnam War Balkan campaigns. The last recorded deployment was in the role of an IED (improvised explosive device) following the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

About 40 EA-6 airframes were lost during their useful lives, but none were available to direct enemy operations.

The model variant EA-6B is approved for the powerful anti-radar missile AGM-88 "HARM", which is suitable for switching off the signal transmitting the enemy radar system. Additionally, 5 external mount points are designed to carry a 300-gallon fuel tank for a longer working range. Fuel tanks can also be replaced with jamming pods at four of the five hardpoints to extend tactical reach across the battlefield.

The central front portion of the cockpit windshield also provides an external (and static/fixed) in-flight refueling probe (retained from the A-6 design) and sits directly between the pilot and the front row EW officer. Available hardpoints can store up to 18,000 pounds in total - typically including 2 x AGM-88 HARM missiles.

The EA-6B is powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney J52-P408A turbojets, each producing 10,400 pounds of thrust. Top speed is 650 mph and cruising speed is 480 mph.

With an external fuel supply, the range is up to 2,400 miles, the climb rate is 12,900 feet per minute, and the service ceiling is up to 37,600 feet.

Prowler service is now more limited than ever following the introduction in 2009 of the Boeing EA-18G Growler, an EWA based on the F/A-18F Super Hornet family of multirole fighters platform.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes