The Perpetual Prowler Tribute

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Nothing for EA. The Whales in the fleet at that time were all VQ assets and if you needed Prowlers they were deployed from Whidbey. The newest squadrons back from cruise were on the bubble to redeploy. It didn't happen much but during Eldorado Canyon Coral Sea had no Prowlers and VAQ-135 did a 48 hour notice departure to the Med to support the strikes.

I'm remember this, one of my FRAMP classmates got pulled from class early for this deployment.

 

[jmcquate]

Where does the EA-6A fit into the mix? Did they deploy as part of a CAW or just support Marine air from land bases in Vietnam?

 

[Brett327]

Where does the EA-6A fit into the mix? Did they deploy as part of a CAW or just support Marine air from land bases in Vietnam?

If I recall, that never went into full production (approx 20 airframes) and were mostly used by Marines.

 

[HAL Pilot]

The Navy had a few doing Red air stuff. We had a chick NFO in my DH tour squadron that came from flying EA-6As. I think she was out of Key West at the time.

 

[Pugs]

Where does the EA-6A fit into the mix? Did they deploy as part of a CAW or just support Marine air from land bases in Vietnam?

Yep VMAQ-2 flew them from 66 to when they got Prowlers and they did deploy on Sara and FID to support the CVW - Some great history here http://cv41.org/EA6A.html

The Navy never used the EA-6A operationally but the CVW-20/30 Reserve Airwings flew them until 91 when they transitioned to Prowlers and VAQ-33 out of Key Weird flew them as FEWSG (FTRG or FIWC depending on which reorg) EA training assets. VMAQ-4 (when they were Marine Reserve) flew them at Whidbey until recalled to active duty for ODS then transitioned to Prowlers and never went back. I was in VAQ-209 with a couple guys (VD and RMPM) who had flown them and the EW system was rarely working but they said it was a X-country machine with 6 drop tanks and being a bit more slippery than an A-6 they had times in the winter they did West coast to east with no stops at .7 mach.

 

[ea6bflyr]

I was in VAQ-209 with a couple guys (VD and RMPM) who had flown them and the EW system was rarely working but they said it was a X-country machine with 6 drop tanks and being a bit more slippery than an A-6 they had times in the winter they did West coast to east with no stops at .7 mach.

Only with a helpful tailwind.

 

[Pugs]

Only with a helpful tailwind.

Hence winter. I suspect many of us have seen 600 kts over the ground from NUW to Offut in Jan/Feb in a Prowler. I wasn't there, just repeating what they discussed.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

121231-N-OY799-177 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 31, 2012) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Juantavius Bridges, from Carrollton, Ga., clears the launching area as an EA-6B Prowler from the Wizards of Strike Fighter Squadron (VAQ) 133 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Abbate/Released)

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

 

[Pugs]

Where were the 209 birds? We didn't often fly with four drops.

 

[MIDNJAC]

If those are recent photos, probably going to/from pt mugu (with lots of gas). We saw them out there at the tail end of last month, as they kind of dog humped onto the end of our shoot.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Where were the 209 birds? We didn't often fly with four drops.

Fort Worth.

 

[wlawr005]

Stupid question...why does every Prowler side # start with 5?

 

[MasterBates]

CAG MODEX's

1XX Fighter
2XX Fighter
3XX Fighter
4XX Fighter
5XX Attack (VAQ now)
60X AEW
61X HS (Helo_
7XX VS/HSL

From what I saw, East coast HSL just had the following MODEXs that didn't jive with CAG numbering.. IIRC west had 7xx series
HSL 40 400-417
HSL-42 420-437
HSL-44 440-457
HSL-46 460-477
HSL-48 not sure.

 

[ea6bflyr]

They didn't always start with 5XX. A long time ago, Prowlers used to be 8XX series, and now Prowlers and Growlers are 5XX series. It's a shipboard numbering system. Four fighter squadrons: 1XX, 2XX, 3XX, and 4XX. Today's Air Wings use 1XX and 2XX to denote Super Hornets and 3XX and 4XX to identify legacy Hornets. A log time ago A-7 squadrons used 3XX & 4XX. A-6 squadrons used 5XX , E-2's used 6XX, Helos used 61X, and S-3s used 7XX.

-ea6bflyr