The Great Growler Gallery

[Pugs]

Well, it happened with the Wild Weasel mission, so don't count it out. There's not an ex-F-4G guy living who thinks the "automated" single-seat F-16 Weasel can do the mission as well as jets that have been in the boneyard for the last 12 years....

And the Weasel mission is half (at most) of the Prowler mission. No chance the radar, comms jamming, hard-kill mission can be done to the same level of capability with a single seat.

Heck, as an F-15E guy how possible is your full mission as a single seat? Sure you can do some just fine but when the workload and mission ramps up two heads can do a lot more. We aren't always going to be dealing with the threat environment we have now and we're buying jets for the next 20 years. We better get it right.

EW is not the glory job of the Air Wing. It's not a job that you can point to a video and say "hey look at the mess I made of the target" or that CENTCOM is going to talk about in his daily briefing to CNN. It's ethereal. You go out, work hard and do the best SEAD job you can and hope and pray that all your strikers get in an out unscathed and everyone's there for a slider back home. When they do, sit back and eat your slider with satisfaction, when someone doesn't, you pick it apart and see if there's anything you could have done or did that caused it and go out next cycle and press hard again. The feedback is usually that everyone's there, not video evidence. As EW and NW start to merge in SEAD this will become an even more elusive task.

If you can't live with that you should consider another platform.

 

[Single Seat]

SEAD isn't even close to what the Prowlers are doing. I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.

Even with automation, I can't fathom a single seat platform trying to do the Prowler mission. There is just way to much information, and way to much tasking... to try and do it all AND drive. Even a single seat WSO hater can admit there are things we just can't do. I'm leary of the EA-18 being able to fully replace the Prowlers with one dude in the back, espcially the ICAP III birds.

 

[Brett327]

SEAD isn't even close to what the Prowlers are doing. I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.

Even with automation, I can't fathom a single seat platform trying to do the Prowler mission. There is just way to much information, and way to much tasking... to try and do it all AND drive. Even a single seat WSO hater can admit there are things we just can't do. I'm leary of the EA-18 being able to fully replace the Prowlers with one dude in the back, espcially the ICAP III birds.

The G is essentially the ICAP III. One capable ECMO can handle everything in the backseat as it stands in the Prowler right now. I'm confident, after having talked with folks who did DT&E on ICAP III, that the crew changes in G won't be an issue.

Brett

 

[Pugs]

The G is essentially the ICAP III. One capable ECMO can handle everything in the backseat as it stands in the Prowler right now. I'm confident, after having talked with folks who did DT&E on ICAP III, that the crew changes in G won't be an issue.

Brett

Yep, flew the sim a few times over about five years from the early versions at St Lewy up through their roadshow trailer one and I'm convinced the G will pull it off with two crew. Grumman/McAir deserve credit for putting a lot of the own money in R&D knowing the Navy was going to end up there eventually.

 

[TheBubba]

Ok... Here's something I've been thinking (and probably alot of you as well), but it probably makes too much damned sense for the AF to do it.

We (Navy) needed a new EA platform. We took existing software and hardware, and essentially stuck it into an existing, albeit modified, platform. And voila, you have the EA-18G.

So, why cant the AF do the same? We've got the software and hardware. The AF has an extremely capable 2-seat platform in the F-15E. What's to say that they can't modify that airframe to fulfill the EA role and make an EA-15. I think its a viable option.

Anyone in the know can give some insight?

 

[Harrier Dude]

I volunteer Hacker to be the program manager and first "EA-15F" squadron CO.

 

[Fly Navy]

Ok... Here's something I've been thinking (and probably alot of you as well), but it probably makes too much damned sense for the AF to do it.

We (Navy) needed a new EA platform. We took existing software and hardware, and essentially stuck it into an existing, albeit modified, platform. And voila, you have the EA-18G.

So, why cant the AF do the same? We've got the software and hardware. The AF has an extremely capable 2-seat platform in the F-15E. What's to say that they can't modify that airframe to fulfill the EA role and make an EA-15. I think its a viable option.

Anyone in the know can give some insight?

That's queer to them. Not an F-15C driver? Then you're not cool.

 

[a_m]

That's queer to them. Not an F-15C driver? Then you're not cool.

Hahah, awesome

 

[PropStop]

That's queer to them. Not an F-15C driver? Then you're not cool.

You haven't experienced AF gayness until you've been in a room with a few 15C drivers and a few 22 drivers. The 15 guys talk about all the cool stuff they did, and still can do. The 22 guys talk about their plane like you read about Chuck Norris. It isn't unlike a high school football player (15 driver) trying to one up a first tier college football player.

SWORDFIGHT!!!!!

It really is funny to watch.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Next time, try that "EF-15F" thing on them...they'll scream "blasphemer!" and haul you off to the Fighter Guy Inquisition for heresy.

 

[submarinerssbn]

EA-18G "Growler"

when do you suppose they will start the training for personnel in the growler? and will they go through the same training that a fighter would go through since it is a f-18 with the capability of air to air?

Another question does this support the statement that your chances of going to f-18 is almost certain if you go jets? because they are about to scrap the s-3 correct, and replace the prowler with the growler, so the only jet left would be the f-18???? f-18 will do the refueling and helo's will take over anti sub duty.

what do you guys know about this and what are the odds of classes increasing the need for jet pilots and it making the odds better for someone going to flight school?

 

[MasterBates]

Good god man, USE THE SEARCH BUTTON..

And its the EA-18, not the FA

 

[Brett327]

when do you suppose they will start the training for personnel in the growler? and will they go through the same training that a fighter would go through since it is a f-18 with the capability of air to air?

Another question does this support the statement that your chances of going to f-18 is almost certain if you go jets? because they are about to scrap the s-3 correct, and replace the prowler with the growler, so the only jet left would be the f-18???? f-18 will do the refueling and helo's will take over anti sub duty.

what do you guys know about this and what are the odds of classes increasing the need for jet pilots and it making the odds better for someone going to flight school?

The first squadrons to start the transition process will happen in '09. The training will not be the same as for the other F-18 models, but will include some A/A since the Growler will be able to carry the AIM-120. Prowlers will still be flying until at least 2012-13, so students will still be selecting them out of VT-86 for the next several years. There are several very informative threads on this topic available via the search function. I'll be glad to field any other questions you have.

Brett

 

[scoober78]

helo's will take over anti sub duty...

Uhhhhhh...whaddya suppose this guy is doing??

Oh what the hell do I know...I'm just a VQ slob...

 

[UMichfly]

Uhhhhhh...whaddya suppose this guy is doing??

Collecting per diem and waiting on his burrito to get warm?