Katherine Ziesing | St Louis
The RAAF's first EA-18G Growler has been handed over in a ceremony at Boeing's St. Louis facility. Destined for 6 Squadron, the aircraft is the first of 12 Growlers to complement 24 Super Hornets already in service. All 12 aircraft are due to be in country by the end of 2017.
"The Growler is leading technology edge that the RAAF strives to maintain," Air Marshal Geoff Brown said, speaking at the ceremony on behalf of new RAAF chief Air Marshal Leo Davies. "This is the biggest advance in technology the RAAF has seen since the introduction of the F-111."
The FMS contract for the Growlers was signed in June 2014, with the USN giving up spots on the production line to ensure quicker availability for the RAAF.
While many of the electronic attack capabilities offered by the Growler are classified, both operators in the USN and RAAF are quietly confident of its abilities. USN experience in Libya recently demonstrated that the non-kinetic effects offered by the Growler were 'highly effective' with AIRMSHL Brown confirming the information sharing of lessons learned between the USN and RAAF is well and truly in place. As the RAAF gains experience with the Growler, he hopes that the lessons learned sharing will be much more a two way street.
RAAF staff are already training with the USN at Whidbey Island, Washington and have been in place for the last 18 months, also taking part of in operations in Japan.
According to the latest ANAO Major Projects Report, the Growler program is worth $3,036.6 billion under program Air 5349, encompassing a range of FMS cases for sustainment, weapons and sensors.