Grumman EA-6B Prowler

Grumman · United States · first flew 1968 · fighter

A four-seat electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder, built to jam enemy radars and protect strike packages.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	18.2 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Stretched nose with a four-seat cockpit ahead of swept wings
Bullet-shaped pod on top of the tall tail fin
Intruder-derived planform with electronic-warfare jamming pods underwing

Pick it out by the lengthened four-seat nose, the distinctive fin-tip antenna pod, and the Intruder-style swept wing carrying jamming pods.

Specifications

The Grumman EA-6B Prowler has a length of 18.2 m (60 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.2 m (53 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1050 km/h (652 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1968, the Prowler lengthened the Intruder's nose to seat a pilot and three electronic countermeasures officers who operated its tactical jamming system. It became the US military's primary carrier and land-based stand-off jammer, serving Navy and Marine units long after the Air Force retired its own jammers.

Variants

The single basic airframe was progressively upgraded through ICAP (Improved Capability) standards that modernised its receivers and jamming pods over its long career.

Where you'll see it

A US Navy and Marine Corps electronic-warfare type not operated by Britain, so it was not UK-based; spotters mainly saw it as a visitor to exercises and air shows before its US retirement.

Related aircraft

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