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F/A-18D and EA-6 NFO

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PhatFarmer35

Registered User
I was just interested in finding out about what exactly NFOs on the F/A-18D and EA-6 do. I know the F/A-18D's main mission is to provide close air support for Marines on the ground. But how would the NFO do this? Do they use their radars to search for targets and then drop bombs on the targerts or does the pilot do that? In addition to that, what else would an F/A-18 NFO do?

I have the same question about an EA-6 NFO. I know the EA-6 is an electronic countermeasures aircraft but what does the NFO specficly do? I've read that a lot of the time an NFO will be the mission commander and not the pilot, but what exactly would the mission commander be doing? Also, does the EA-6 have an weapons?

Thank you.
 
Brett327

Brett327

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PhatFarmer35 said:
I have the same question about an EA-6 NFO. I know the EA-6 is an electronic countermeasures aircraft but what does the NFO specficly do? I've read that a lot of the time an NFO will be the mission commander and not the pilot, but what exactly would the mission commander be doing? Also, does the EA-6 have an weapons?
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In an EA-6 crew there are 3 NFOs which are called ECMOs and one pilot. The ECMO in front right does co-piloting duties (sorry no flt controls, but you'll run all the checklists, back the pilot up on aviating and generally set up all the systems in the plane), navigation, works the radar and comm jammer, HARM missiles and is generally doing most of the tactical and ATC comms. He is generally pretty busy and can have a huge effect on how the mission goes. The two ECMOs in back have identical stations for the most part. They do all the gee whiz jamming stuff, control the surveillance receivers and Jamming Pods, designate HARM targets which are passed to the front, more radios, and back up the front on the tactical situation. Everyone eats a bunch of geedunk, listens to tunes and talks sh*t about their shipmates when we're not busy. All ECMOs are quallified to fly in front and back seats and you rotate around getting a theoretical average of 1 in 3 flights up front. Whatever you heard about Mission Commanders is bogus. Anyone who is quallified can be an MC (usually your senior JOs and above). Not to ofend any P-ECMOs that might be out there, but... there are some pilots that really get into the tactics, but many of them are content to let the ECMOs run the show and pretty much do what they're told, hence the Prowler community is a very NFO-centric. As far as weapons go, the HARM is used against enemy radar sites. The rest is all Trons.

Happy to answer specifics as required. I'm sure Meat and Flash can put in their two cents as well.

Brett
 
SteveG75

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
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And for Meat's $0.02.

The EA-6B is a great mission. We are considered a go/no-go for any serious strike (i.e. any strike into a SAM envelope or anywhere the enemy has radars). If a striker (F/A-18) goes down (breaks), they will launch a spare or shift tactics. If the Prowler goes down and there is no airborne spare, then the strike will probably be cancelled. This puts a lot of responsibility on the Prowler guys to know their stuff and be knowledgable n the airplane so that we can write good gripes for maintenance.

That said, there is no instant feedback in the Prowler mission. As a former attack bubba, I define instant feedback as watching my bombs fit a target on the FLIR (and then razzing when wingman when he misses). As a Prowler guy, we rarely get that. You may know if a HARM missile hits the target but probably not since you are shooting at something 40 miles away. Success to a Prowler guy is everyone coming home. But did they come home because you did a good job or because the enemy did a bad job.

As a former attack guy, I'll also comment a little on the F/A-18D. Now, realize that have never flown one but based on anecdotal evidence: The WSO will probably run the radar and the FLIR. He will back up the pilot, deisgnate laser guided ordinance, work the weapons system. You will fly FAC(A) missions which are very demanding with lots of coordination. Probably do some RMC work for CSAR, plus the usual air-mud stuff.

To comment on Brett's MC remark. Most guys usually get the MC qual 1 1/2 to 2 years in the squadron (dependent on timing, deployments, dets, etc), right Flash? Anyway, pilots and ECMOs can be MC's. The senior MC in the jet is considered the MC for the flight. As an O-4, I was basically adult supervision for the JO's who were pretty much running the show in order to get their quals. It is not a cakewalk to get that qual depending on the squadron. A MC qual is a sign that the skipper trusts your judgement. He'll let you take a jet on a cross country and nothing builds a JO's experience bank than 4 JO's on the road.

OK, enuff of that, I want Brett to PM me with some Timber stories. Maybe Flash can fill us in on the 128 AF contingent. Nice thing about 138 under Pudge, Baron and Goon, old style ready room.
 
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PhatFarmer35

Registered User
Thank you for replying.

I was just wondering how often Marine Corps EA-6s and F-18Ds deploy onboard Navy aircraft carriers?
 
TurnandBurn55

TurnandBurn55

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They do not. They're trained to be able to-- carrier quals, but they're land-based squadrons...

I can't comment too intelligently on -18Ds, since I'm just in the pipeline and not actually fleet, but your role will obviously be a little less independent of the pilot than in the Prowler. Yes, you'll use the radar and the targeting pods to search the ground, identify targets, and such. You'll probably be programming the weapons, painting the targets... hell, I know in -F model the backseater has full ability to launch them... drop flares and chaff and such... pilot has the master arm switch, though.

Really, the stickmonkey will have more than enough to do controlling the plane... you'll have a lot to do with the mission-critical type stuff..
 
Brett327

Brett327

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TurnandBurn55 said:
They do not. They're trained to be able to-- carrier quals, but they're land-based squadrons...
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Check you info, shipmate. Stand by for Marine Hornet squadrons to deploy with the Airwing, just like in the old days. Also, stand by for a marine CAG or two and a USN MAG CO (probably MAG-12 in Iwakuni). Doesn't exactly sound like a good trade to me.

Brett
 
SteveG75

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
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Brett327 said:
Check you info, shipmate. Stand by for Marine Hornet squadrons to deploy with the Airwing, just like in the old days. Also, stand by for a marine CAG or two and a USN MAG CO (probably MAG-12 in Iwakuni). Doesn't exactly sound like a good trade to me.

Brett
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Correction Brett.

The poster asked about "D"'s and EA-6B's. Those are not going to the boat. The Corp is sending 3 D squadrons to the reserves and 3 C squadrons back to active duty in order to have enough C's to put one squadron in each airwing. But, no "D"'s. There are also no plans to put the Marine EA-6B's on the boat. Heck, that is why we got 137 back.

BTW: DCAG-9 is a USMC COL right now.
 
TurnandBurn55

TurnandBurn55

Drinking, flying, or looking busy!!
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BTW, been meaning to ask for awhile... what's the rationale behind having the Marines send C model Bugs to the boat but not Ds?
 
squeeze

squeeze

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D's carry less gas (700 lbs or so I think... one of the hornet guys should know the #).
Gas is life at the boat
 
Brett327

Brett327

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squeeze said:
D's carry less gas (700 lbs or so I think... one of the hornet guys should know the #).
Gas is life at the boat
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Just at the boat?

Brett
 
SteveG75

SteveG75

Retired and starting that second career
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Brett327 said:
Just at the boat?

Brett
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Brett,

Stop baiting the studs. We all know gas is life in expeditionary squadrons so you firewall it home in order to be the first one in the break and thus the first to share a near-beer with the AF honeys. ;)

There are several good reasons for no D's on the boat.

1) Bringback. C's and D' have the same max trap. D's have a heavier empty weight. So, you carry less ordinance or land with less gas. Don't even think of jettesioniing ordinance since we started replacing $5000 dumb bombs with $30,000 JDAMs. Either way, it is bad.

2) Capability. Honestly, the D's bring no additional capabilities to an airwing that already has an FA-18F squadron onboard.

3) Numbers. There are 10 airwings. One Marine squadron per. There are only six (6) D squadrons in the Corp and they ain't buying more.

It makes more sense it have the C's in the airwings. Send the D's where the Corp needs them and augment with C squadrons that are in turnaround if necessary.
 
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PhatFarmer35

Registered User
When the Navy replaces the EA-6 with the F/A-18G, would everything you guys said a EA-6 NFO would do be the same that an F/A-18G NFO would do, except everything would be done by one person?

Also, would an EA-6 pilot and NFO need top secret sercurity clearance to do their jobs?
 
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