EA-6B Prowler: Final Days In American Service. #ea6 #prowler #usn #navy #america

For more than 40 years, the Grumman EA-6B Prowler was the United States Marine Corps’ primary airborne, electronic warfare platform and flew missions – day or night and in any weather – to identify, jam, target, and strike enemy defenses on the ground or in the air while supporting joint, combined and Marine air-ground task force operations. Marine Prowlers flew combat missions during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and later in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“That sustained tempo for close to half a century has led to not only the highest utilization rate of any Marine Prowler squadron but the highest utilization rate for any type/model/series aircraft in the Marine Corps,” service officials said in announcing VMAQ-2’s decommissioning back in March 2019.
The long-range Prowler was crewed by one pilot and up to three ECMOs, or Electronic Countermeasures Officers, who operated its electronic warfare systems. With its missiles and suites of sensors and electronic countermeasures, including the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, the jet could strike or help target enemy forces, jam enemy radars, knock out enemy communications, collect electronic intelligence and even jam improvised explosive devices.
The Prowler’s electronic warfare mission now falls to the Marine Corps’ growing inventory of unmanned aircraft and ground systems, new fleet of F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets and EW sensors such as the Intrepid Tiger II jamming pod.
The twin-engine Prowler, built by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, was the electronic attack version of its A-6 Intruder. It became operational in 1971. “We managed to hang on wit the aircraft for a long time because they kept finding a use for us. And even up until the end we had one of the highest operational tempos of any other community in Marine aviation,” commented Lt. Col. Andrew A. Rundle, VMAQ-2’s commanding officer.

VMAQ 2 was deactivated on 8 March, 2019. In doing so it brought the end to a truly iconic aircraft !

This video highlights the last days of the EA-6B Prowler, including the types final formation flight, which includes numerous flare releases. With interviews from air & groundcrew who served on the squadron, this is an excellent farewell to an outstanding aircraft.

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Видео EA-6B Prowler: Final Days In American Service. #ea6 #prowler #usn #navy #america канала Military Aviation TV