EA-6B Prowler - Electronic Warfare Aircraft - Grumman

Overview

The EA-6B "Prowler," developed from the A-6 Intruder, was a carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft designed for the USMC, featuring a four-seat cockpit and advanced ECM capabilities. Entering service in 1971, it supported ground-attack missions by disrupting enemy radar and could carry AGM-88 HARM missiles for self-defense, with a total of 170 units produced between 1966 and 1991.

Specifications

General

Crew4

Based OnA-6 Intruder

Ew SuiteAN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System

Jamming CapabilityJamming enemy radars and providing an umbrella of protection for enemy tracking systems

Research Notes

Carrier-Based Electronic Attack from the A-6 Line

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EA-6B Prowler was developed from the A-6 Intruder lineage into a dedicated electronic-attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Its four-seat crew arrangement supported the complex workload of jamming, electron

EA-6B Prowler was developed from the A-6 Intruder lineage into a dedicated electronic-attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Its four-seat crew arrangement supported the complex workload of jamming, electronic support, and suppression support. The aircraft became a central platform for protecting strike packages against radar-guided air defenses.

Section Sources

Original EA-6B Prowler takes last flightNAVAIR • 2010 • Supports carrier-based electronic attack from the a-6 line context.

Jamming and SEAD Support

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The Prowler’s mission was electronic attack: detecting, disrupting, and degrading enemy radar and communications so other aircraft could operate with lower risk. NAVAIR testing references show how the aircraft served as

The Prowler’s mission was electronic attack: detecting, disrupting, and degrading enemy radar and communications so other aircraft could operate with lower risk. NAVAIR testing references show how the aircraft served as a platform for developmental work on EA-6B systems and capabilities. Its value was not speed or dogfighting, but the ability to reshape the electromagnetic battlespace.

Section Sources

Original EA-6B Prowler takes last flightNAVAIR • 2010 • Supports jamming and sead support context.

Transition to Growler Era

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The final Navy EA-6B events marked the end of a major electronic-attack era and the transition toward EA-18G Growler operations. Prowlers had supported U.S. and coalition air campaigns for decades. For HiWars, this page

The final Navy EA-6B events marked the end of a major electronic-attack era and the transition toward EA-18G Growler operations. Prowlers had supported U.S. and coalition air campaigns for decades. For HiWars, this page should connect EA-6B to SEAD, strike-package protection, and the evolution of electronic warfare aviation.

Section Sources

Point Mugu welcomes last Navy EA-6B ProwlerNAVAIR • 2015 • Supports transition to growler era context.

Sources & References

Military Today weapon and military equipment guideMilitary Today • 2026

Military.com Equipment GuideMilitary.com • 2026

Sep 25, 2026•19FortyFive

F-117 Nighthawks Flew 2 Percent of Desert Storm’s Sorties and Hit 40 Percent of the Targets — More Than 1,500 of Them in 43 Nights, Without a Single Loss. 8 Years Later a 1961 Soviet Missile Shot 1 Down.

Sep 10, 2026•19FortyFive

Why the Air Force is turning this business jet into a weapon

Jul 2, 2026•Task & Purpose

Forget the F-35 or F-47 NGAD: The Boeing EA-18G Growler Is the U.S. Navy’s Most Important Warplane

May 6, 2026•19FortyFive