A US Navy
EA-18G Growler from the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 crashed
east of Mount Rainier in Washington state. As of the time of writing, the fate of the two Navy aircraft crew members remains unknown. The

EA-18G Growler is the mainstay of the Navy’s electronic warfare fleet
and replaced the venerable Grumman EA-6B Prowler.

An EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft crashed during a routine training flight at around 15:30 Pacific time on Tuesday. The Navy has dispatched an MH-60S helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island along with other search and rescue assets to examine the crash site and look for the missing pilots.

boeing ea-18g growler

Photo: Peter R Foster IDMA | Shutterstock

“The status of two Navy aircraft crew members is unknown after a Navy EA-18G Growler crashed east of Mount Rainier. The growler, from the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, crashed during routine training flight around 3:20 p.m. Pacific time, according to a Tuesday night Navy release.” – USNI News

A Navy P-8A Poseidon was seen airborne over the area for four hours and was believed to be part of the search and rescue effort. The P-8 had the tactical hex code #AE6882 and was tracked operating at an altitude of 17,000 feet.

“The search for the pilot and navigator continues. An US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft was airborne for over four (4) hours IVO Mount Rainier, Washington in search of Electronic Attack Squadron 130 EA-18G Growler aircraft in the crash site.” – FL360aero

For now, the cause of the crash is unclear. The weather in the area has been cloudy all day with intermittent rain. The Growler was reported to be from the VAQ-130 Electronic Attack Squadron (the oldest electronic warfare squadron in the US Navy).

Related

EA-18G Growler: What Is The Purpose Of Electronic Warfare Aircraft?

Waging war on the invisible battlefield.

The Navy’s powerful F/A-18 Growler

The Growler is critical to the Navy’s ability to conduct SEAD (suppression of enemy air defense) and DEAD (destruction of enemy air defense) operations. It is designed to disrupt, deceive, or deny a wide range of military electronic systems (including radars and communications). The Navy operates a fleet of around 150 Glowers.

“The EA-18G Growler is the most advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) platform and is the only one in production today. A variant of the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet, the Growler provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to U.S. military forces and allies around the world.” – Boeing

An EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 lands aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington

Photo: USN

It is common for military aircraft to crash—although not nearly as common as it was once. Today, most military aircraft can expect to be eventually retired, while in the past, crashes could claim around half of all airframes of a given type. Some crashes are much more costly than others—for example,

two of the US’s 21 fleet of B-2 Spirits have been lost in crashes
.

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