Are Marines getting Growlers?

[av8ion]

I read awhile back that the Corps was skipping procurement of Growlers and going straight to using the F-35 for electronic jamming. More recently I've read that we actually are getting Growlers to replace our Prowlers. What's fact and what's fiction?

 

[Recovering LSO]

Check this out. It ought to give you plenty of gouge on USMC air plan. Specifically check out page 2.3.2

 

[av8ion]

Check this out. It ought to give you plenty of gouge on USMC air plan. Specifically check out page 2.3.2

Thank you sir. Looks like they're simply standing down those 6B squadrons.

"VMAQ squadron stand down begins FY16 and is completed in FY19."

For anyone interested in more detail:
"FUTURE INITIATIVES: The Marine Corps is building an organic and distributed electronic warfare system of systems known as MAGTF EW. MAGTF EW transitions the Marine Corps from a focus on low-density/high-demand EW capability such as the EA-6B, to a distributed, platform-agnostic approach. Under MAGTF EW the Marine Corps is leveraging emerging technologies and operational efficiencies and integrating multiple aviation platforms (unmanned, fixed wing, and rotary wing assets); payloads; ground-based EW nodes; and cyber effects to provide commanders with an organic and persistent EW capability. This integration of manned and unmanned airborne and ground EW capabilities will provide the MAGTF commander with greater flexibility and control of EW than he has ever had before. MAGTF EW assets will be modular, scalable, and networked, utilizing an open architecture that is rapidly adaptable and remotely reprogrammable at the tactical level to support future Marine Corps warfighting strategies. UAS are a critical component of the MAGTF EW concept. As such, EW expertise normally resident within the VMAQ community will begin to transition to the VMU community beginning in 2015. Manned airborne capabilities post-2019 will be provided by EW payloads such as the Intrepid Tiger II EW Pod, Unmanned Aircraft Systems EW payloads, and the EW capabilities inherent to F-35. "

 

[Brett327]

In other words, the Marines are punting on AEA.

 

[Uncle Fester]

In other words, the Marines are punting on AEA.

"Leveraging future capabilities" is the preferred nomenclature, please, Dude.

 

[nittany03]

"Leveraging future capabilities" is the preferred nomenclature, please, Dude.

Am I wrong? AM I WRONG?

 

[DynamicHFM]

Out of curiosity, wouldn't the repercussions of switching over to the Growler be quite high in terms of displaced NFOs? The Growler seats two, what would happen to the other two NFOs?

Also, I've noticed a fair amount of folks with their current or desired aircraft as an avatar... Is this restricted to Pilots and NFOs only, or can us starry-eyed college students put them up? I wasn't sure and I don't want to overstep boundaries or break rules, but I couldn't find anything regarding that.

 

[Recovering LSO]

The same thing that happened to 2/3rds of the Navy Prowler ECMOs; the numbers slowly dwindle through various means of natural attrition and reduced production. Of course going to the JSF replaces ALL of the USMC ECMOs...

 

[Flash]

Surprisingly enough though that won't be the end of Marine NFO's as originally planned, the latest USMC air plan has the VMFA(AW) squadrons sticking around until FY25 or later.

 

[wlawr005]

Surprisingly enough though that won't be the end of Marine NFO's as originally planned, the latest USMC air plan has the VMFA(AW) squadrons sticking around until FY25 or later.

Yeah? Flying what? The 18-Ds at -106 are falling apart at the seams. They don't have enough life in the frames to make it to 2020...much less 2025.

Unless the MC isn't concerned about safety...or catastrophic losses.

Here's my preseason prediction...the MC WILL be flying two seat Super Hornets before 2020. Granted, they will be the old, shitty ones the Navy discards, but SHs none the less.

 

[Flash]

Yeah? Flying what? The 18-Ds at -106 are falling apart at the seams. They don't have enough life in the frames to make it to 2020...much less 2025.

That's the plan, if you want details why don't you ask this guy?

Here's my preseason prediction...the MC WILL be flying two seat Super Hornets before 2020. Granted, they will be the old, shitty ones the Navy discards, but SHs none the less.

Uh huh, sure. And you know this from your vast experience in Marine aviation?

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Yeah? Flying what? The 18-Ds at -106 are falling apart at the seams. They don't have enough life in the frames to make it to 2020...much less 2025.

Unless the MC isn't concerned about safety...or catastrophic losses.

Here's my preseason prediction...the MC WILL be flying two seat Super Hornets before 2020. Granted, they will be the old, shitty ones the Navy discards, but SHs none the less.

The odds of the Marine Corps buying super hornets are probably lower now than any time in the last twenty years.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Out of curiosity, wouldn't the repercussions of switching over to the Growler be quite high in terms of displaced NFOs? The Growler seats two, what would happen to the other two NFOs?

Also, I've noticed a fair amount of folks with their current or desired aircraft as an avatar... Is this restricted to Pilots and NFOs only, or can us starry-eyed college students put them up? I wasn't sure and I don't want to overstep boundaries or break rules, but I couldn't find anything regarding that.

No problem putting whatever pictures of planes you want, but you're not going to fly a GR9 no matter how starry eyed you are.

 

[Recovering LSO]

Yeah? Flying what? The 18-Ds at -106 are falling apart at the seams. They don't have enough life in the frames to make it to 2020...much less 2025.

And yet they're still flying their Prowlers, and will be for sometime yet. Recall that airframe was flying during Linebacker II.

Unless the MC isn't concerned about safety...

Really!?

Here's my preseason prediction...the MC WILL be flying two seat Super Hornets before 2020. Granted, they will be the old, shitty ones the Navy discards, but SHs none the less.

Not sure where the supers you mention are going to come from. The Navy is going to need every BuNo it can scrounge up to get them to the mythical JSF deployment.

 

[Brett327]

Ahh, the wisdom of cones.