RAAF Growlers will get jammer upgrades
Early February 2023, the Australian Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will upgrade the EA-18G Growler's airborne electronic warfare capability under the Project AIR 5349 Phase 6 programme.
Within this programme, radar-systems developer CEA Technologies will upgrade the RAAF EA-18G Growler to the most current US capabilities. According to the MoD, the upgrades includes a “Next-Generation Jammer weapon system” to replace the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System; sensor upgrades; anti-radiation missile war stock; and new longer-range and more advanced anti-radiation missiles.
At this moment, around USD 1,4 billion (AUD 2 billion) of needed funding has been approved for this project. Next to the upgrade of the aircraft, also upgrades to the electronic warfare training ranges and facility upgrades at RAAF Base Amberley (Qld.) and the Delamere Air Training Area near Katherine in the Northern Territory are part of the deal.
The EA-18G Growlers are operated by 6 Squadron Nous Reviendrons (We Shall Return) at Amberley. The squadron has returned to twelve aircraft again, after losing one of the Growlers (A46-311) during an aborted take-off at Nellis AFB (NV) in January 2018 where the aircraft caught fire and was damaged beyond economical repair.
The replacement aircraft, serial A46-313, arrived at Nellis AFB (NV) on 30 January 2023 to join the 6 Squadron contingent currently taking part in the Red Flag exercise. The previous identity of the 'new' Growler is BuNo 169219.
Photo by Hans van Herk