First EA-18G Growler electronic attack fighter delivered to Navy under multi-year contract
NewsMarch 20, 2012
ST. LOUIS. Boeing officials delivered the first EA-18G Growler to the U.S. Navy as part of the company?s multi-year contract to produce F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs. The first airborne electronic attack aircraft ? dubbed Aircraft G-57 ? will be based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
The Growler provides full-spectrum airborne electronic attack capability as well as targeting and self-defense capabilities leveraged from the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet. The EA-18G can operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier as well as from land-based airfields.
The EA-18G recently supported military operations in Libya for Operation Odyssey, logging more than 7,000 combat flight hours, Boeing officials say.
Under the Navy contract Boeing is tasked with delivering 66 F/A-18E/Fs and 58 EA-18Gs, to be procured through 2013. Navy officials since that have added 24 F/A-18E/Fs to the contract. The Navy has the option to procure up to 194 F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs under the MYP III contract terms.
The first two multi-year contracts produced about $1.7 billion in savings for the Navy, Boeing officials say. The third contract is expected to realize more than $605 million in savings, with a total savings of more than $2.3 billion across the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G contracts.
The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a low observable, multirole aircraft that can fly day/night strike missions with precision-guided weapons as well as perform fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, close air support, maritime strike, forward air control, reconnaissance, and tanker missions. F/A-18E/F aircraft have flown more than 166,000 combat flight hours during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
