EA-18G Design Begins To Diverge From Super Hornet
By Stephen Trimble
May 28, 2003
Although the future EA-18G electronic attack aircraft will look and
fly much like the F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter, differences
inside the airframe are emerging as a final design takes shape,
U.S. Navy and industry officials said May 27.
As a Milestone B decision awaits the program in October, proposals
to alter the basic hardware and components are raising questions
about how to balance developing the unique capabilities of each
aircraft and harnessing the efficiencies of a common production
line.
"It will be an almost daily decision [of] what level of commonality
will you have between the [F/A-18E], [F/A-18F] and the EA-18G,"
said Cmdr. Sterling Gilliam, the Navy's Airborne Electronic Attack
requirements officer.
In recent weeks, Navy leaders have moved to clarify the EA-18Gs'
role as an electronic attack platform, not a strike asset, said
Lisa Nyalko, the aircraft's deputy program manager.
In a significant decision last week, the Navy decided the G model
will not be designed for a quick and relatively inexpensive
conversion to the F model, Nyalko said. For example, the F strike
variant's gun pallet has been removed from the blueprint for the G
model, she said.
However, all F models are being designed to more easily accommodate
a conversion to the G design, she said. This allows the Navy to
hedge its investment if it later decides it needs to buy more than
the 90 planned G variants, of which 56 are funded through fiscal
2009.
The EA-18G will carry both the AIM-120C air-to-air missile and the
AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile 2(HARM) for a basic
self-defense and suppression of enemy air defense capability. But
unlike the F variant, it is not designed to carry strike weapons
such as GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions.
The G and F models will be manufactured on the same production
line, starting with Lot 30 under the second multiyear procurement
contract in fiscal 2008. As the G model's final design takes shape,
a key question is how far down the production line the hardware for
both aircraft can be assembled identically, Gilliam said.
The EA-18G shares most of its electronic warfare components with
the Northrop Grumman EA-6B's Improved Capability-3 (ICAP-3) suite,
including the advanced ALQ-218 receiver.
ICAP-3 is due for a low-rate initial production decision in early
June, Nyalko said. Expectations are high after the program
completed an early round of operational tests almost four weeks
ahead of schedule and with no aborted flights.
The Navy plans to spend $1.5 billion on a four-year system
development and demonstration (SDD) contract expected to be awarded
in December, if the Defense Department approves the Milestone B
decision. Much of the SDD phase concentrates on integrating the
ICAP-3 suite with several existing EW systems, including the ALQ-99
jamming pod and the USQ-113 processor.
EA-18G production is expected to cost the Navy $6.7 billion, or
about $66 million an aircraft, which compares with $59 million for
each F model.
The EA-18G is known popularly as the "Growler," although its
official nickname and aircraft designation have not been
approved.
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