USN Growlers undergo structural and mission systems modification
Airborne Electronic Attack System Enhancements will be added to the EA-18G fleet.
Boeing has begun a five-year modification programme for the entire USN EA-18G Growler fleet with the induction of the first EW aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
‘The modifications are focused on updating the jets’ structural and mission systems architecture, enabling future capability growth for the Navy’s 160 Growler aircraft,’ Boeing announced in a statement on 19 March.
Full-rate modification is expected to start in June 2021. The ALQ-218 receiver system will receive the Airborne Electronic Attack System Enhancements modification, enabling the Growler to operate in ‘increasingly complex electromagnetic environments’, according to Boeing.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the ALQ-218 utilises a combination of short-, medium- and long-baseline interferometer techniques, with a patented passive ranging algorithm, to provide geo-location of emitters for cueing jammers and other onboard sensors such as EO/IR sensors and radar.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Air Warfare
-
![How do we detect and defeat enemy drones?]()
How do we detect and defeat enemy drones?
Learn about the portfolio of sensors and effectors for the complete counter-UAS mission at Raytheon, an RTX business.
-
![BAE Systems lauds counter-UAS drone progression with live fire trials]()
BAE Systems lauds counter-UAS drone progression with live fire trials
The US-based tests successfully demonstrated the first live trial of a precision guided missile from a modified TRV-150 drone which destroyed both aerial and ground targets.
-
![India readies private sector push as AMCA moves towards 2028 prototype]()
India readies private sector push as AMCA moves towards 2028 prototype
India’s stealth fighter ambitions gain fresh momentum as HAL opens the door to private sector involvement in AMCA Mk1A structural assembly, with strategic support growing for next-gen propulsion and sensor technologies.
-
![BAE Systems reveals new GCAP demonstrator design with plans to fly by 2027]()
BAE Systems reveals new GCAP demonstrator design with plans to fly by 2027
A key part in the trinational Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), this is the first crewed supersonic aircraft demonstrator to be built and developed in the UK in more than 40 years.
-
![Kratos Defense makes European CCA push with Airbus partnership]()
Kratos Defense makes European CCA push with Airbus partnership
Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie will be equipped with an Airbus-made mission system to be offered as a ‘European’ collaborative combat aircraft option to the German Air Force.
-
![Anduril’s Barracuda-100M completes latest successful test flights]()
Anduril’s Barracuda-100M completes latest successful test flights
The munitions variant of the Barrauda-100 autonomous air vehicle is being tested for the US Army’s High-Speed Manoeuvrable Missile (HSMM) testbed programme, with further flight tests expected in 2026.
