8/25/2023 0 Comments Us navy jet war thunderThe first such upgrade was named "expanded capability" (EXCAP) beginning in 1973. The EA-6B Prowler was continually upgraded over the years. In addition, the EA-6B was capable of gathering electronic signals intelligence. Although designed as an electronic warfare and command-and-control aircraft for air strike missions, the EA-6B was also capable of attacking some surface targets on its own, in particular enemy radar sites and surface-to-air missile launchers. Due to its extensive electronic warfare operations, and the aircraft's age (produced until 1991), the EA-6B was a high-maintenance aircraft, and had undergone many frequent equipment upgrades. The EA-6B Prowler was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engines, and it was capable of high subsonic speeds. A total of 170 EA-6B production aircraft were manufactured from 1966 through 1991. Three prototype EA-6Bs were converted from A-6As, and five EA-6Bs were developmental airplanes. The Prowler first flew on, and it entered service on aircraft carriers in July 1971. Grumman was awarded a $12.7 million contract to develop an EA-6B prototype on 14 November 1966. The forward fuselage was lengthened to create a rear area for a larger four-seat cockpit, and an antenna fairing was added to the tip of its vertical stabilizer. The substantially redesigned and more advanced EA-6B was developed beginning in 1966 as a replacement for EKA-3B Skywarriors for the U.S. The two-seat EA-6A (top) was followed by the four-seat EA-6B Prowler (bottom) The EA-6A was essentially an interim warplane until the more-advanced EA-6B could be designed and built. Most of these EA-6As were retired from service in the 1970s with the last few being used by the Navy with two electronic attack "aggressor" squadrons, with all examples finally retired in the 1990s. A total of 27 EA-6As were produced, 15 of which were newly manufactured. The EA-6A was used by three Marine Corps squadrons during the Vietnam War. The EA-6A was a direct conversion of the standard A-6 Intruder airframe, with two seats, equipped with electronic warfare (EW) equipment. Marine Corps during the 1960s to replace its EF-10B Skyknights. The EA-6A "Electric Intruder" was developed for the U.S. ( July 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. Navy service in June 2015, followed by the USMC in March 2019. Following its last deployment in late 2014, the EA-6B was withdrawn from U.S. Air Force until the fielding of the Navy's EA-18G Growler in 2009. ![]() From the 1998 retirement of the United States Air Force EF-111 Raven electronic warfare aircraft, the EA-6B was the only dedicated electronic warfare plane available for missions by the U.S. It carried out numerous missions for jamming enemy radar systems, and in gathering radio intelligence on those and other enemy air defense systems. It was capable of carrying and firing anti-radiation missiles (ARMs), such as the AGM-88 HARM. An EA-6B aircrew consisted of one pilot and three Electronic Countermeasures Officers, though it was not uncommon for only two ECMOs to be used on missions. Development on the more advanced EA-6B began in 1966. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy. The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe.
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