Will Join First Plane In Test Program
Aero-News learned Tuesday the second EA-18G Growler airborne
electronic attack (AEA) aircraft has taken its first flight... and
like the first aircraft, the flight took place ahead of
schedule.
The second Boeing EA-18G, known as aircraft EA-2, successfully
completed its maiden flight from Lambert International Airport in
St. Louis. MO on November 10. With Boeing pilot Gregory Bigalk and
weapons system operator Dana Perkins on board, the aircraft flew
for 1.4 hours before returning safely to the airport.
EA-2 is the second of two test aircraft built under a System
Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract Boeing signed with the
US Navy on December 29, 2003. The aircraft will fly later this year
to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD where it will join the
first EA-18G, now undergoing electromagnetic testing in an anechoic
chamber. EA-2 will be used primarily for avionics and AEA flight
testing.
"Flying EA-2 ahead of schedule is another step in a promise we
made in 2003 to deliver capability to our customer," said Mike
Gibbons, Boeing EA-18G program manager. "Our team -- the Navy,
Boeing and our Hornet Industry partners -- set out to develop a
product that met every requirement, including cost and schedule,
and we are doing that, every day."
Four additional aircraft will be produced under modifications to
the SDD contract and the F/A-18E/F Multi-Year II production
contract. The first of those aircraft, designated G1, has begun
assembly at Northrop Grumman Corporation facilities in El Segundo,
CA.
A derivative of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, the EA-18G's
highly flexible design enables warfighters to perform an array of
AEA missions, operating from either the deck of an aircraft carrier
or land-based fields. The EA-18G will replace the Navy's current
AEA platform, the EA-6B Prowler, which has been in service since
1971. The Growler will join the Navy's aircraft fleet in 2008.
Boeing, acting as the weapon system integrator and prime
contractor, leads the EA-18G Growler industry team. Northrop
Grumman is the principal subcontractor and airborne electronic
attack subsystem integrator. The Hornet Industry Team will divide
EA-18G production across Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Electric
and Raytheon manufacturing facilities. The SDD program concludes
with an Initial Operational Capability in 2009. Naval Air Systems
Command PMA-265 is the U.S. Navy acquisition office for the
EA-18G.