The EA-18G Growler incident on Saturday was an aborted takeoff. The aircraft subsequently caught fire
As we have previously reported, on Jan. 27, 2018, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) EA-18G Growler experienced an engine failure and skidded off the runway at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB).
KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas has a video of the incident.
According to Nellis AFB officials, the “incident” on Saturday was an aborted takeoff. The aircraft subsequently caught fire.
No “serious injuries” were reported, a spokesman said. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Currently, four RAAF EA-18Gs from 6SQN are deployed at Nellis AFB for Red Flag 18-1.
The EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, which replaced the EA-6B Prowler, is the fourth major variant of the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite.
The aircraft retains all of the F/A-18E/Fs multi-mission capabilities with its validated design and the capability to perform a wide range of enemy defense suppression missions.
Moreover, the extensive commonality between the F/A-18E/F and the EA-18G Growler, as well as its flexible platform, gives the Growler much-needed room for future upgrades and growth.
The first Growler test aircraft went into production in Oct. 2004 and made its first flight in Aug. 2006.
The first production aircraft was delivered on Jun. 3, 2008, to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, the Fleet Replacement Squadron for the type, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Wash. Initial operational capability (IOC) and full-rate production followed in fall 2009. In 2010, three squadrons, VAQ-132, 141, and 138, transitioned from the Prowler to the Growler and were declared safe-for-flight.
The Scorpions of VAQ-132 deployed to Iraq as an expeditionary squadron from NAS Whidbey Island, in the fall of 2010. The Shadowhawks of VAQ-141 deployed in the spring of 2011 aboard the USS George H. W. Bush.
Additional source: U.S. Navy
