Aircraft

The first Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic-attack aircraft is due to arrive at the US Navy’s NAS Patuxent River test centre imminently after completing the first flight carrying ALQ-99 jamming pods.

On its sixth test flight, aircraft EA-1’s ALQ-218 tactical jamming receiver was operated for the first time. The system includes receiver antennas in wingtip pods and electronics in the nose gun bay.

The second test aircraft is expected to fly by the end of October and be delivered to Pax by year-end to join the two-year-long test programme for the derivative of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.