Aviation Week & Space Technology
September 16, 2002
Pg. 70

Pentagon Mulls EA-6B Upgrades, Preservation

By Robert Wall, Washington

The EA-6B may be heading toward replacement by new electronic warfare systems, but that isn't stopping military planners from exploring ways to further upgrade the support jammer and maintain a small number of aircraft for another decade.

The Marine Corps, for its part, is mapping a strategy on how to keep at least 20 operational EA-6Bs in service through 2015, although many of the details remain to be worked out.

The Navy--the other service operating EA-6Bs--is preparing to discard its Prowlers in favor of the EA-18, an electronic warfare derivative of the F/A-18F. When that occurs, the Marines will choose--from the Navy's and its own inventory--the best-maintained and least-stressed EA-6Bs for future use, says Maj. Gen. Michael Hough, the assistant deputy commandant for aviation. Using only the most "pristine" Prowlers should reduce the long-term maintenance burden during the next decade.

To meet training needs, as well as have enough aircraft for attrition demands and depot work, the service probably will maintain 30-32 aircraft to equip its four operational squadrons of five aircraft each. The Marines do not want to follow the Navy's lead and buy the EA-18 because it would mean introducing a new type of aircraft into their inventory. Instead, they are trying to delay a decision to see whether an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter electronic attack version is feasible.

Although the Marines are buying short takeoff and vertical landing (Stovl) F-35s, the service probably would use the Navy's carrier version as an electronic attack platform. Hough said this would provide the flexibility to operate from both land and sea. Additionally, the carrier version has space for a second seat to accommodate an EW officer, if that's deemed necessary. That space is occupied by the lift-fan on the Stovl JSF, so it could not be converted easily into a two-seat aircraft.

The prevailing view among EW experts is that it will take at least two crewmembers to perform the EW mission. The Navy undertook extensive studies before determining it could execute the electronic attack mission that requires four crewmembers on an EA-6B in the two-seat EA-18. As is the case with the EA-18, the Marines expect to use the ICAP-3 jamming suite as the baseline EW equipment for their future jammer.

Hough said a decision on whether to proceed with the electronic attack F-35 would likely have to be made soon after the aircraft's first flight in 2005. The Marines plan to field JSF in 2008, which would provide ample time to develop an EW version and have it ready for fielding in 2015, he added. However, that would allow only three years from the Navy's planned in-service date for the carrier-based F-35.

The Marines believe the EA-6Bs can be made to last without extraordinary effort, although Hough acknowledges that some of the aircraft's known trouble spots, such as wingbox aging and engine problems, will need attention. Among the details the Marines have yet to resolve are the amount of airframe overhaul required, which aircraft to select, and what to do when the Navy's EA-6B training program comes to an end. Currently, the Marines rely on the Navy's training program. Hough said there's plenty of time to figure out what to do when the Navy focuses training exclusively on the EA-18, since that won't happen for several years.

In addition, improvements are being weighed that could benefit the aircraft in the near term. Those activities go beyond just ICAP-3, which is being developed for the EA-6B but with an eye on all of the Pentagon's future jamming aircraft. Moreover, EA-6B-unique upgrades are being promoted, some of which were demonstrated in a recent military exercise.

As part of a Navy Fleet Battle Experiment concluded last month, EA-6B operators experimented with enhancements to the aircraft's data link and with a new computer to demonstrate possible near-term upgrades in the Prowler's battle management capability. The exercise came just in time for the Navy EA-6B community's annual meeting to define upgrade plans.

At the heart of the latest presentationare the modification to the Prowler's improved data modem (IDM) and the use of a new laptop computer. EA-6Bs utilize IDM to pass targeting information to F-16s so they can more accurately fire their HARM antiradar missiles. The link also allows EP-3 and RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft to pass target identification and location data to the Prowler. Until now, EA-6Bs have been unable to digitally pass data to the F/A-18, one of the aircraft with which they operate most closely. Instead, those interactions have relied on voice communication, which takes longer and involves greater risk of error. With the latest enhancement, the Navy managed to upgrade IDM to communicate to the F/A-18 via the Tadil K message format.

Additionally, the Navy developed the Battlespace Management Software Suite that allows EA-6B crews to pass sensor data to the F/A-18, says Robert Massey, lead project engineer at the Naval Air Warfare Center at Point Mugu, Calif. Besides using the EA-6B's own radar and communication detection devices, the crew would be able to relay information from the EP-3, RC-135 or intelligence broadcasts to the fighter.

The second major change involves installation of a small pen-tablet computer. Crews have been using an older and larger laptop that's less powerful and cumbersome to operate in the cockpit. The pen tablet--in this case, a Fujitsu LT-P600, although that might change if the Navy proceeds with the upgrade--was modified to be compatible with night-vision equipment, and was given an anti-glare filter so it would be easier to read during the day, said Cdr. Steve Nakagawa, who oversees connectivity efforts for the EA-6B.

THE PEN TABLET'S increased processing power and memory allow EA-6B crews to use FalconView, a tool that can show elevation maps, satellite images and aeronautical charts. Specifically, EW officers can overlay on a map an enemy's electronic order of battle--the location and types of air defense systems being used--to situate it better within the overall operation, according to Cdr. Bruce Schneider, commanding officer of VAQ-135, which tested the equipment.

Moreover, the laptop enables operators to take with them a database providing threat information that, until now, could be viewed only on the ground. Schneider said the computer's small size also allows the crewmember using the laptop to still have access to his primary workstation. The existing device is much larger, forcing the operator to choose between using it or the EA-6B's installed workstation, he added.

Developers and operators were generally pleased with what they saw during the experiment. Massey noted that the IDM upgrade "exceeded expectations" in terms of reliability. In fact, he said the system withstood intense message traffic that far exceeded what would take place operationally.

AN ANCILLARY BENEFIT of the new laptop would be that it could serve as a rudimentary briefing and debriefing tool. Before a mission, crews could use the laptop and FalconView software to show a target's expected location. After a sortie, they could use the information stored on a laptop to review the mission.

Fielding the equipment could take some time, however. Capt. John Scheffler, EA-6B program manager, noted that the laptop used in the demonstration did not have the full capability of the existing system. Moreover, buying and fielding the new laptops would require funding and a formal acquisition program to ensure that operational squadrons also get the proper support tools. Still, engineers believe they should be able to upgrade IDM to create the linkage with the F/A-18 relatively quickly, even using the existing laptop.