The Navy has identified the EA-18G Growler as a priority that is unfunded in the fiscal 2015 budget request currently before Congress, saying greater capability to carry out airborne electronic attack missions in the future may be required.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that with the currently planned fleet of Growlers, the Navy, as the primary provider of airborne electronic attack capabilities across the military services, is only meeting the “minimum requirement.”
“When you look at requirements, we are at minimum requirement–as we know it,” Greenert said. “However, I look to the future and…electronic warfare, electronic attack is critical, it gets us joint assured access. I see a growing need, number one.”
“Number two, there are a few studies going on looking at the joint requirement–well that’s us. We’re the provider,” Greenert said of the Navy. “My view was for hedge and for risk reduction I thought it would be appropriate to describe what I view as a future need and potential requirement.”
The Growlers detect enemy radar and surface-to-air threats and employ sophisticated jamming capabilities to neutralize them, allowing other aircraft to more safely enter contested airspace to carry out strike missions.
HASC Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) had asked all of the military services to submit so-called unfunded priorities to his committee.
The Navy’s current plan is a fleet of 212 EA-18Gs, including ones added to the fiscal 2014 budget last year. The Navy’s unfunded request for fiscal 2015 includes 22 more
Boeing [BA] Growlers, a number consistent with advance procurement funding Congress put in the fiscal 2014 budget.
The Growlers are gradually replacing the Navy’s fleet of EA-6B Prowlers, and became operational in 2009. However, if the Navy does not buy additional EA-18Gs, Boeing’s production line in St. Louis will close at the end of 2016.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said during the same hearing that the need for electronic attack capabilities “isn’t going to get any smaller” in the future, and the current plan of five Growlers per squadron is the minimum. He said the unfunded priority listing of the EA-18Gs is an insurance policy “looking out in the future.”
Mabus also said the Pentagon is exploring additional foreign sales to keep the Growler line going. Australia is so far the only foreign customer for the aircraft, which shares an airframe with the F/A-18 Super Hornet.