EA-18GG

AIR International
APRIL 2020
Vol 98 No 4

B
oeing’s EA-18G
Growler dates AIR International details the Boeing EA-18G Growler
back to a 2001 electronic attack aircraft and its Next-Gen Jammer,
requirement
from the US April20 as Mark Ayton considers what lies ahead for this
Department of
the Navy for an
sophisticated node in the modern battlespace.
analysis of alternatives for a
new electronic attack aircraft to
replace the EA-6B Prowler. The
EA-18G, an advanced derivative
of the F/A-18F Super Hornet,
was selected as the ideal
stand-off and escort jammer for
the US Navy. Now in its second
decade of service with the
navy, the EA-18G continues to
be the only dedicated tactical
electronic attack aircraft in the
US Department of Defense
(DoD) inventory.
Capt Jason Denney, the
US Navy F/A-18 Hornet and
EA-18G Growler programme
manager with Naval Air
Systems Command’s PMA-265,
said the aircraft has a fantastic
ability to disrupt signals, deny
communications, jam radars
and provide crucial support
and intelligence: “The Growler’s
ability to work with all other
aircraft, not just those in the
carrier air wing but within the
DoD, makes it a critical node
operating with deployed air
force, army and marine corps
expeditionary units
– interoperability is a key

Growler mission systems

at a glance
O ALQ-99 tactical jamming pods with
separate low-band and high-band
configurations.
O ALQ-218 digital receiver system
(wingtip pods).
O ALQ-227 communications
countermeasures system and
electronic attack unit.
O AN/APG-79 active electronically
scanned array radar.
O INCANS (interference
cancellation system) to enable UHF
communications to be made during
jamming.
O Multi-mission Advanced
Tactical Terminal (MATT) satellite
communications receiver.
Ops Around the ‘Boat’
Development from the Super Hornet ensured that the EA-18G was
readily suited to carrier operations – its core role. Bring-back is a term
related to the stores load that an aircraft is able to carry and still safely
recover to the carrier’s flight deck. The Growler’s only releasable stores
are its weapons or drop tanks – the former being its kinetic weapons:
the AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), AGM-88E
Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) and AIM-120 Advanced
Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). During carrier suitability
trials, VX-23 undertook gross-weight expansion testing to increase the
Growler’s bring-back capability to 48,000lb (21,773kg) including fuel, up
from the Super Hornet’s 44,000lb (19,958kg) load. Catapult shots had
to ensure tow-bar, nose-bar, gear and hook point loads were within the
required limits for launching the aircraft. Arrested landings with a gross VX-31 ‘Dust Devils’ at NAWS China
Lake, California, undertakes much
weight of 48,000lb (21,773kg) were conducted under various simulated
of the Growler development work
conditions to test de-acceleration, high-sink rate landings, roll/yaw in partnership with VX-23 at NAS
offset landings and different attitudes. Patuxent River, Maryland. Jamie Hunter

40
GGrowler
21st Century Electronic Attack
“...During carrier suitability trials,
VX-23 undertook gross-weight
expansion testing to increase the
Growler’s bring-back capability to
48,000lb (21,773kg) including fuel,
up from the Super Hornet’s 44,000lb
(19,958kg) load. Catapult shots had
to ensure tow-bar, nose-bar, gear
and hook point loads were within
the required limits for launching the
aircraft. Arrested landings with a
gross weight of 48,000lb (21,773kg)
were conducted under various
simulated conditions to test de-
acceleration, high-sink rate
landings, roll/yaw offset landings
and different attitudes.”
OPS AROUND the ‘BOAT’

April20 41

performance parameter for the
Growler.”
Naval Air Systems Command
(NAVAIR) dedicated three
Super Hornets to Growler
flight test in July 2004. All
three were fitted with wingtip
pods and other sub-systems
with the same weight, centre
of gravity and aerodynamic
characteristics representative
of the latest equipment for the
new variant.
The first aircraft to fly
configured as an EA-18G was
F/A-18F BuNo 165875 (F35),
which started testing on March
30, 2006. Air Test and Evaluation
42 April20
Squadron 23 (VX-23) ‘Salty Dogs’,
based at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland, undertook 346 flights
with this jet. Mission systems
testing of the first System Design
and Development (SDD) EA-18G
(EA-1) started in the anechoic
chamber at ‘Pax’ in late
October 2006.
Growler Wizardry
The EA-18G’s primary antenna
is the ALQ-218, housed in its
wingtip pods, with additional
antennae located in the forward
and aft sections of the airframe,
appropriately separated so the
system correctly processes
signals. Threats can be
detected throughout the radio
frequency (RF) spectrum,
measured in small elements.
The signal is handed over to
a secondary receiver, which
measures very fine and
parametric measurements of
the frequency and amplitude.
Geo-location of the threat is
calculated by interferometry
– measuring differences in
phase, and the waveform angle
relative to the aircraft’s position.
Growler system software is
aligned with that of the Super
Hornet, but with specific
electronic attack elements in
a ‘third level’. Recognition of
the aircraft’s electronic attack
systems and the ALQ-218
activates this ‘third level’ and
the pilot and weapons systems
officer (WSO) use HOTAS
(hands-on throttle-and-stick)
controls to view, operate from
and switch between modes.
Paring down the EA-6B’s
four-person crew to just two
in the EA-18G required a lot
of automation. The WSO’s
advanced crew station (ACS)
interlinks seamlessly with the
pilot and permits the two crew
to operate the systems with full
co-ordination.
Tactical Jamming
As well as its built-in systems,
the Growler team took a
risk-reduction approach when
it came to the electronic attack
mission. The EA-18G carried
over the Prowler-era
ALQ-99 tactical jamming pods.
Continual upgrades enabled
these to remain relevant
against potential threats, but
were taken on as an interim
capability for the Growler.
Two different variants of ALQ-99
pod are dedicated to notional
wave bands and therefore
target sets and attack solutions.
Over the past 35 years, ALQ-99
pods have been upgraded by
either waveband, RF exciter or
universal exciter. Back in 2005,
these pods hit their technology
ceiling. Certain new target
sets – of a communication or
asymmetric warfare type – can be
accommodated with tweaks, but
for the latest surface-to-air missile
(SAM) systems, the ALQ-99 was
at the end of the line.
The search for a replacement
Next Generation Jammer (NGJ)

was completed in April 2010.
In November of that year, a
resources, requirements and
review (R3) board sat at the
Pentagon and provided validation
to build a new system for the
EA-18G. During 2010, technology
and maturity contracts were
awarded to Raytheon, Northrop
Grumman, ITT/Boeing and BAE
Systems to look at maturing the
requisite technology for NGJ.
Providing sufficient power
and cooling for an electronic
attack capability on a tactical
aircraft is a major challenge.
Power generation needs to be
built into the pod. The ALQ-99
uses a RAM air turbine, a small
propeller on the front end. This
solution wasn’t an option for
the NGJ because the power
required by its solid state and
active array technologies is too
great. Instead, the new pod
uses an internal RAM air turbine
generator – dubbed RAT G.
The new advanced arrays also
present unique challenges. An
AESA radar works best using a
large flat plate, an arrangement
that allows a beam to be
formed by focusing a lot of
energy. Electronic attack is no
different – requiring efficient
beam formers and amplifiers.
Use of gallium nitride circuits
for close to 100% duty cycle
jamming required mature
technologies. Development
contracts were awarded to
four companies in 2010, with a
follow-on contract for gallium
nitride circuits awarded to
Raytheon in July 2013.
Electronic Attack
Under the Joint Electronics
Type Designation System, the
NGJ Mid-band is called the
ALQ-249; a high-powered,
agile, electronic attack system
capable of operating at
stand-off ranges, attacking
multiple targets simultaneously
with advanced jamming
techniques designed for rapid
upgrades with a modular, open
systems architecture. Equipped
with agile AESA and an all-
digital back-end, the ALQ-249
conducts precise jamming
assignments against advanced
and emerging threats operating
throughout a wide range of
radio frequency bands.
Confronted with integrated
air defence system radars,
communications and data links,
the ALQ-249’s ability to engage
threat systems and conduct
robust jamming at standoff
distances is vital. Consequently,
the ALQ-249 must provide
sufficient effective isotropic
radiated power (EIRP); the
measured radiated (output)
power of an antenna in a
specific direction.
In addition to the technical
complexity and the necessary
size and all-up weight
restrictions of a new-generation
electronic attack pod, the NGJ
design team was faced with
other constraints. The EA-18G
Growler embarked as part of
a carrier air wing endures the
rigours of flight deck catapult
launches and arrested landings.
Its operation involves emission
of electromagnetic and directed
energy to degrade, neutralise
or destroy an enemy’s
combat capability, which
requires careful control and
management to ensure both
the aircrew and the aircraft are
not adversely affected.
So what are the defining
design drivers for the NGJ pod?
According to Capt Michael
Orr, programme manager for
electronic attack systems, there
are four. Power requirement,
driven by operational scenarios;
power generation capability,
which defines the cooling
requirement; processing
power, which must enable all
of the pod’s combat functions,
many of which are automated;
airworthiness, which includes
integration constraints,
structural limits and system
software integration.
In performance terms, each
of the four elements had to be
balanced and optimised against
each other to produce the
required capability.
Once integrated with the
EA-18G, the ALQ-249 will be
capable of contributing to
the full range of warfare, from
air strikes in anti-access/
area denial environments to
the type of irregular warfare
encountered in Afghanistan.
LEFT: EA-18G Growlers assigned to VX-23
‘Salty Dogs’, which undertakes a lot of
handling stores integration work.
US Navy/Elizabeth Wolter
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: The ALQ-218 pods
on the wingtips of the EA-18G required
a wing redesign in order to cancel out
vibration and aileron ‘buzz’.
US Navy/MCS3C Skyler Okerman
OPPOSITE TOP: An EA-18G Growler from
VAQ-132 ‘Scorpions’ takes on fuel from a
Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi
Role Tanker Transport, an as F/A-18E
holds alongside.
Australian Defence Force/Sgt Peter Borys
BELOW: A VX-31 EA-18G pilot straps in for
a mission at NAWS China Lake. Jamie Hunter
One outcome of the
November 2010 R3 board was
to return the NGJ programme
into incremental capabilities.
Increment 1 is the mid-band,
which covers the most critical
threat waveforms across a
full spectrum of agile and
adaptive communications,
data links and non-traditional
radio frequency targets.
Increment 1 will be used to
deny, degrade or deceive
use of the electromagnetic
spectrum employing both
reactive and pre-emptive
jamming techniques and is
currently in the engineering and
manufacturing development
(EMD) phase.
Increment 2 is the low-band,
which includes important
threat waveforms and has
an initial operating capability
(IOC) targeted for after 2022.
Increment 3 is the high-band
with an IOC after 2024. This
will be housed in a smaller pod
carried on the outer wing
April20 43
 stations 2 and 10. NAVAIR
currently describes Increment
2 and Increment 3 as planned
future efforts.
April 2016 was an important
month for the NGJ Mid-Band
programme as it received
Milestone B approval to
enter EMD and Raytheon
was awarded a 56-month
contract valued at US$1
billion for execution of the
phase. In accordance with
the contract, Raytheon will
deliver 15 EMD pods to be
used for mission systems
testing and qualification, and
14 aeromechanical pods for
airworthiness certification.
On April 27, 2017 the NGJ
programme completed its
critical design review (CDR)
– it identified deficiencies that
deemed a redesign of the
pod structure, which caused
schedule and cost breaches.
Despite the structure
redesign, manufacturing,
integration and testing of
the antenna arrays, power
generation system, software
and common electronics
unit continued in accordance
This EA-18G is from the electronic attack weapons school, the Growler equivalent of TOPGUN at NAS Fallon, Nevada, known as HAVOC. Jamie Hunter
44 April20
with the EA-18G H16 data which is used to ensure was based on analysed data
software integration schedule the pod does not overheat or captured from ALQ-99 pods
On October 18, 2017 a adversely affect the aircraft in operational scenarios. Last
memorandum of understanding and the aircrew. Data captured summer, Raytheon delivered
(MOU) was signed with in the chamber is also being the first NGJ Mid-Band EMD
Australia – the only other used to gain an interim flight pod to Patuxent River to begin
current operator of the EA-18G clearance authorisation to initial stores integration. This
– forming a joint programme operate a Growler fitted includes verification of ground
office and a co-operative with NGJ pods in non- procedures, mass properties,
development project. standard configurations, in aircraft installation and built-in
different flight envelopes and test checks, all in preparation
NGJ in Testing conditions. The chamber for chamber and flight-testing.
NAVAIR’s anechoic chamber testing is providing real, as Different types of tests require
at Patuxent River is currently opposed to analysed, data different configurations of
occupied by an EA-18G for use in the mission system pods, such as fatigue, static,
fitted with the first set of two modelling process to begin jettison and aeromechanical
EMD pods. The aircraft and validation. Previously, extensive versions – the latter used for
pods were first placed in the mission system modelling flying qualities and aircraft
chamber last November, and to of the pod’s application to integration. Pods used for
date have undertaken more electronic attack and jamming mission system testing are in
than 400 hours of full-up configuration with all
testing with both of the sub-systems installed.
pods radiating Unsurprisingly, mission system
to check basic pods are expensive and are
functionality actually unnecessary for
and to capture some elements of the flight
electromagnetic test programme.
interference Before its first flight, the
data. The NGJ pod is undergoing
latter all of the standard tests
being the required for stores
measurement integration. Static
of radiation strength testing
was completed in the early
autumn of 2019. Once flights
begin, a set of NGJ pods will
undergo captive carriage
tests; loads, environmental,
flying qualities, performance,
drag and structural integrity.
Performance and jettison
tests will follow as part of the
employment phase.
Capt Orr described the
forthcoming NGJ flight-test
programme as “thorough and
extensive”, involving hundreds
of missions. It will include
aero mechanical tests of the
pod’s physical integration on
the aircraft; mission systems
testing of its performance and,
ultimately, carrier-
suitability testing.
The ‘Salty Dogs’ of VX-23
will conduct the NGJ flight test
programme. The squadron
hosts five Growler aircraft and
will receive a series of pods
during March and April 2020
for its work; the set of pods
currently in the chamber will
not be used for flight test.
Flight-testing was expected to
start this spring and to continue
through most of 2021.
Chamber testing will continue
for quite some time as its
focus changes to increased
performance. Milestone C,
the low-rate initial production
decision, was anticipated at the
end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.
An operational test readiness
review should take
place by early 2022. If the
review is successful, the NGJ
pod will enter operational test
that year, followed by an IOC
declaration in FY 2022.
Test Bed Test Work
In 2019, Raytheon contracted
Calspan to fly a Gulfstream III
test bed aircraft fitted with a
trials pod designed specifically
for power generation testing
and risk reduction efforts in
support of the NGJ’s initial flight
clearance process.
Raytheon’s NGJ test pod was
configured with a RAT G to
demonstrate the functionality,
mechanical interfaces and
controls of the RAM air turbine.
The turbine’s design
requirements are significant
to such an extent that the
Gulfstream test flights were
planned from the start of the
programme, and named the
prime power generation
capability, or PPGC.
Orr said the testing
was conducted as a
risk reduction effort
because the RAT G was
identified as a potentially
troublesome area early on in
the NGJ programme. NAVAIR
set the test objectives and
observed the flights carried out
by Raytheon and Calspan. Orr
said: “There were no surprises
during the test flights. The
objective was to validate some
of the assumptions we held, but
the data captured did not lead
to any design changes.”
Pod Programme
The NGJ pod runs on its own
operational flight programme
(OFP) software, which is
independent, but aligned with
the Growler’s own OFP. The
Growler runs on high order
language OFPs – designated
by the letter H. The NGJ will
be integrated and enter fleet
service with EA-18G Growler
aircraft using H16 software. So
critical is alignment of the two
OFPs that the PMA-234 NGJ
programme office has an NGJ
integration team that works on
a daily basis with the PMA-
265 Growler programme office
team. Capt Orr said PMA-
234 staff understand the H16
software schedule and the
April20 45

releases and tie
the NGJ pod releases, from a
capability perspective, to the
corresponding H16 releases,
to ensure that when that is
delivered to the fleet it will be
able to use NGJ.
Explaining the process, Orr
said: “We use the interface
control documents issued to us
by PMA-265, for hardware and
software, and fully understand
what the constraints are with
H16. If we need to update the
pod’s software, to the maximum
extent possible we design it
such that we can update the
pod without having to touch
the H16 OFP. If a situation arose
in which we wanted to add
capability to the pod that would
not run on the existing aircraft
OFP, we would likely delay
until the next aircraft OFP was
released.”
Given that electronic
warfare is constantly evolving,
an electronic attack pod needs
to keep pace with emerging
threats. This requires labs to be
able to quickly tweak the pod
without the need to change
the OFP. According to
Orr, the pod’s capability
can be updated for the
majority of conditions
independent of the OFP.
Greater Growler
As part of the Growler
road map, the aircraft is
continually improved primarily
through a roughly biennial OFP
software drop. The H12 release
included enhanced ALQ-218
geolocation, communication
countermeasures set
improvements, display
improvements to enhance
air-to-surface, air-to-air and
counter electronic attack sensor
integration to manage
aircrew workload, and
additional capabilities to
operate in ATC-controlled
airspace. H14 began
operational testing in October
2018, and concluded earlier this
year, and has just been released
to the fleet. In July, live-fire
missile testing was undertaken
to demonstrate the integration
of the AIM-120 with the Super
Hornet and Growler aircraft
operating with the H14 software.
PMA-265 is now under
way with the developmental
test of the subsequent H16,
which includes: software and
hardware upgrades to the
ALQ-218 digital receiver – an
open architecture, multi-level
secure processor known
as the Distributed Tactical
Processor-Network (DTP-N)
which is reckoned to be 17
times more powerful than
the original Growler system;
and the Tactical Targeting
Networking Technology (TTNT)
– a high throughput, low
latency data link with satellite
communications for advanced
network connectivity.
Equipped with DTP-N and
TTNT, a pair of Growlers will
be able to fuse
data acquired by on board and
off board sensors to generate
a common tactical picture of
the battlespace and rapidly
exchange that information with
other assets. What does that
achieve? It enhances targeting
capabilities and improves
air-to-air timelines and
performance. This capability is
scheduled to be implemented
with several H-series software
builds.
Back in August 2017, the US
Navy staged a series of fleet
experiments called ‘Netted
Sensors 2017’, conducted by
the Navy Warfare Development
Command involving, among
others, F/A-18 Super Hornet
and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
EA-18Gs were focused
on working a common
tactical picture, multi-ship
electronic surveillance, Growler
manned-unmanned teaming
and network-centric
collaborative targeting (NCCT)
technologies. It meant they
were using joint data standards

Growler Goes Unmanned
Last October, the latest iteration of the US Navy’s
Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) programme was
staged. According to Navy Warfare Development
Command, FLEX examines various solutions to cover
capability gaps. Additionally, it embraces innovative
concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures, as
well as concepts of operation.
Last October’s FLEX included three EA-18G
Growlers assigned to VX-23 that were fitted with
a control system called Artificial Reasoning and
Cognition (ARC) and prototypes of the DTP-N and
TTNT. The name of the control system implies it’s
an artificial intelligence (AI) machine (computer)
that mimics the reasoning and cognitive functions
of the human mind, specifically learning and
problem-solving respectively.
Within AI a machine learning system identifies
patterns within data sets and tries to make
predictions based on the data, and a reasoning
system solves problems in an ambiguous and
changing environment using available knowledge
and logical techniques such as deduction and
induction. Both machines have direct application
in the control of autonomous systems.
The DTP-N improves the aircraft’s computer
processing power, while the TTNT is a high-capacity
data pipe – improving the flow on and off the aircraft.
Combined, the two make the aircraft a smart network
in the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air
(NIFC-CA) construct.
The three systems enabled two of the Growlers to
be operated as unmanned autonomously controlled
surrogate aircraft, and the third as a control
station; a concept known as manned-unmanned
teaming or MUM-T. Each surrogate aircraft had a
safety pilot on board who performed the take-off
and landing.
Jointly funded by NAVAIR and Boeing, the
demonstration helped validate technology that
enables an EA-18G to fly autonomously as an

46 April20
 and interfaces to speed up
sensor cueing and targeting
through to launching strikes
in multi-sensor geolocation
events.
Capt Denney outlined other
initiatives to deliver new
capability to the fleet faster to
outpace potential threats, to
improve and sustain aircraft
mission capability rates by
using predictive maintenance in ABOVE LEFT: A Royal Australian Air Force
order to spend time performing Growler from No.6 Squadron returns from
effective and proactive programme (SLEP) to assess said it was the team’s number a Pitch Black 2018 mission.
maintenance rather than utilisation and when a SLEP one mission: “Our motto is to Australian Defence Forces/Cpl David Gibbs
reactive maintenance. will need to start. support, to sustain and advance TOP FAR LEFT: A computer-generated
One change already in effect Denney explained that the fleet. That is what we do, image of a ALQ-249 Next-Gen Jammer
Mid-band pod. Raytheon
and in support of the above is because of the Growler’s whether that’s getting the OPPOSITE TOP RIGHT: This image of a
migration from multi-sensor utilisation, a SLEP would not mission capability rate above ALQ-249 NGJ Mid-band pod shows the
integration to multi-system begin until after conversion to 80% or making sure the aircraft forward and aft arrays. Raytheon
integration. This allows for the Block II is complete: “We is able to fight and win against OPPOSITE BOTTOM: An interesting
insertion of new technologies are forecasting 2025 as the potential adversaries, that is perspective of electronic attack activity
and requirements to keep pace Block II IOC,” he explained. why we make incremental radiated from two ALQ-249 NGJ Mid-band
pods. Raytheon
with the fleet’s demands; this When asked whether the improvements. We are
BELOW: The first publicly released image
will continue with H16. PMA-265 team will be able to developing the Block II Growler of an EA-18G Growler assigned to VX-23
stay ahead of fast developing to exceed the capabilities of our loaded with a ALQ-249 Next Gen Jammer
Block II Capability emerging threats, Denney potential adversaries.” pod on station 3 (middle). NAVAIR
Ongoing work is defining a
Block II capability development
programme for the EA-18G,
which will include conformal
fuel tanks in pretty much the
same configuration as those
under development for the
Block III Super Hornet.
Similarly, the ACS featuring a
large area display and low-
profile head-up display will
initially deploy on the Block
III Super Hornet and then the
Block II Growler.
Growlers are not equipped
with a cannon, but the internal
space is not left empty, it’s
fitted out with an airborne
electronic attack palette, which
will be replaced in Block II to
overcome obsolescence.
Given the relatively small
fleet of aircraft, their ongoing
utilisation rates and an
out-of-service date currently
pitched for the mid-2040s,
PMA-265 is already conducting
a service life assessment

unmanned electronic attack platform with the ability
to operate some of its sensors; in this case the
APG-79 AESA radar. According to an official release,
the surrogate fighters were flown in multiple pre-set
formations and linked air-to-air sensor data [captured
by the radar] via TTNT to the manned aircraft.
Given the complex electronic attack and jamming
mission performed by the system-laden Growler,
this proof-of-concept experiment is likely to be
the first step toward further flight trials in which
jamming pods and mission systems are operated
autonomously.
This probable objective was not mentioned in
Boeing’s official release, but the company claims the
technology used in the demonstration enables the
navy to extend the reach of sensors, while keeping
manned aircraft out of harm’s way.
Boeing would not confirm if the ARC system is a
propriety company product or how long it has been in
development, but did confirm the ARC control system
used in FLEX 2019 is a separate effort from the Boeing
Defence Australia’s Airpower Teaming Systems, the
so-called loyal wingman concept.
Boeing told AIR International that though the two
projects may have similar goals regarding manned-
unmanned teaming, they are separate efforts.
Despite Boeing’s official release stating that ARC
could provide synergy with other unmanned systems
in development across the warfare spectrum, the
company would not confirm that the system is a
derivation of that used by its new MQ-25 Stingray
unmanned carrier-based aerial-refuelling system.
Over the course of four flights, each involving the
three modified Growlers, 21 demonstrations
were completed.
Appropriately, Boeing describes the concept as
a force multiplier that enables a single aircrew to
control multiple aircraft without greatly increasing
workload. It seems likely that further application of
the concept will be forthcoming to ensure the Growler
continues to protect all strike aircraft during even the
highest-threat missions.

April20 47