Over 25 years ago, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps introduced a new generation of electronic warfare (EW) aircraft – the EA-6B Prowler. The EA-6B’s primary mission was to save lives and aircraft by defeating the electronic controlled weapons of the North Vietnamese air defense system. The impact was immediate. The EA-6B produced a dramatic reduction in losses to surface to air missiles and radar controlled guns, and it laid the foundation for a new tactical EW capability that has served the nation with distinction for years to come. Today, the Prowler remains the most versatile and effective EW resource in the world. The EA-6B has faced battle test conditions in EVERY significant U.S. conflict since its inception – and proved its worth every time.

The EA-6B was designed from the keel up to be a dedicated EW aircraft with a fully integrated tactical jamming system. As a 7543, you will be piloting the four man, twin engine, tactical aircraft which is a variant of the A-6 Intruder. With the only pilot controls in the aircraft, you will be the pilot in command and share equal responsibilities with the mission commander for aircraft safety and mission success. Working closely with the three electronic countermeasures officers (ECMO’s) which make up your crew, you will employ tactical electronic warfare support in every major theatre of the world. The unique system architecture of the Prowler offers aircrew unparalleled flexibility and innovation in tactical response to threat situations as they develop. The Prowler’s ability to accept and respond to new information data en route to target guarantees the strike group protection on both ingress and egress.

New technological capabilities and continuing upgrades allow the missions of the EA-6B to be expanded well beyond serving as the primary support jammer for airborne strike groups. The Prowler has performed superbly in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) in support of air strike operations, including the employment of the High Speed Anti-radiation Missile (HARM). The EA-6B now also plays a vital role as a joint asset in support of U.S. allied forces and is considered a high-value national asset. It has proved its worth in tactical surveillance for the battle group commander and in communications jamming.

The EA-6B is the premiere aircraft in the military’s inventory that now performs the EW mission. Its innovative concepts and system design offer the ideal foundation to monitor the rapidly expanding electromagnetic spectrum while countering our adversaries’ advanced and coherent radar systems. The Prowler will be the cornerstone of all EW capability until 2015.

Electronic Warfare is a crucial and highly sought after mission. If you desire a high paced, people oriented, high demand job, flying Prowlers is for you. Flying the aircraft is very disciplined but equally as rewarding. The crew organization of the EA-6B has developed and matured into a unique culture like no other. Your duty as an aircrew member will require excellent communication skills, exceptional intelligence, good inter-personal skills, and solid computer skills. All applicable aviation prerequisites apply.

All pilots follow the same flight-training path described in the introduction portion of this section. You will attend primary, intermediate, and advanced fixed wing training followed by type specific training at VAQ-129, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. Depending on the flow of newly designated aviators from the Training Command, the time to reach a fleet squadron can vary from two and half to three and half years (exceptions always exist!). Electronic warfare school (6wks – Pensacola, Florida) and SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape) School (2wks) will be completed before you reach your first assignment.

Expect an extremely high tempo pace, supporting real world operations throughout the globe. A typical first tour will include a minimum of two six-month deployments and will range anywhere from two and half years to five years on station. Expect to be temporary duty (TAD) at least 1/2 of the time, deployed or not. You will have many opportunities to travel in CONUS. All Marine Prowler squadrons are based out of MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Once in the fleet, flying is your second job…your ground billet(s) will occupy most of your time during the day. Time management is extremely critical to maintain currency and develop professionally as a warfighter. Expect multiple ground billets on top of flight duties. All duties support the daily administrative functions of the squadron. In most billets, you will be the officer in charge of enlisted Marines; however, in a few billets you won’t be. Some specific billets you could fill are: Assistant Admin officer, Legal officer, Responsible officer, Embark officer, Schedules officer, Morale, Welfare and Recreation officer (MWR), Ground Training officer, Ground Safety officer, Substance, Abuse and Counseling officer (SACO), Coffee Mess officer or Classified Material Control officer (CMCC).

If you want to return to the fleet quickly (less than 1 year out of cockpit) some opportunities are career level school (AWS or Command and Control Systems Course), FAC tour (an awesome experience and opportunity), and wing/group billets. Three year, follow-on orders might be flight instructing in the training command or attending Naval Post Graduate School in Monterrey, California.

Any aviator in one of the four VMAQ squadrons in Cherry Point, NC could answer questions via telephone or in person (airshows). For written information on the technical aspects of the aircraft and its’ capabilities, the Jane’s publications are a great source. The Internet has information on fleet squadrons, aircraft spec’s and photo’s. The book "Ironclaw" by Sherman Baldwin discusses one Navy Prowler pilot’s war experience during the Gulf War and offers a personal account of actual squadron life aboard a carrier.

The EA-6B is the most formidable EW aircraft in the world today. With continual upgrades to its weapons system, the Prowler stands ready to accept a vigorous Tactical Jamming Systems (TJS) enhancement and lead operations into the 21^st century. The Prowler clearly is the bridge between our existing Electronic Warfare capability and the future of EW and Command and Control Warfare in follow on aircraft.