EA-18

EA-18 Squadrons under the Navy's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity, aims to modernize and enhance the EA-18G Growler aircraft to maintain electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) superiority and support joint force operations in non-permissive environments. The program focuses on developing and integrating advanced electronic attack capabilities, such as the ALQ-218 Airborne Electronic Attack Systems Enhancement (ASE) and Reactive Electronic Attack Measures (REAM), to detect, identify, and counter complex threats at extended ranges. Additionally, it includes the development of the Growler Block II upgrade, which implements innovative capability improvements required for Naval Aviation to sustain an advantage in the EMS until the EA-18G replacement. The program also supports the integration of advanced avionics systems and evolutionary software upgrades to enhance the aircraft's electronic warfare capabilities.

The specific objectives of the program include upgrading the EA-18G Growler's AEA capability to detect, identify, locate, and suppress hostile emitters; providing enhanced connectivity to national, theater, and strike assets; and enabling passive organic precision emitter targeting for precision strike weapons deployment. The program also aims to integrate advanced electronic attack systems enhancements and integrated capability packages to enable autonomous or network-centric operations for a range of electronic warfare functions. Furthermore, it focuses on developing improved software capabilities through System Configuration Set (SCS) block builds and Agile software updates to maintain tactical relevance in support of Navy Aviation Plan 2030. Overall, the program seeks to enhance the Growler's electronic warfare capabilities and maintain its strategic relevance in supporting joint expeditionary operations and carrier strike operations.