If idolatry was more palatable in western society, EA-18G Growler worshippers would not be tossed from the temple.
Tuesday was a historic day at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. After years of anticipation and an unfathomable amount of behind-the-scenes work, the first EA-18G Growler was delivered airmail June 3, finally settling down to a real home.
More than 800 people packed into a huge rain shelter called Hangar 12 for the dedication ceremony, the group threatening to ignite the expansive structure with their frenetic energy. Every set of eyes locked onto the sleek, Electronic Attack aircraft had the distinct look of someone desperately wishing humans could marry airplanes.
And the ominous weather more suited for the four horsemen of the apocalypse was a non-issue. Nothing except a wing or aileron falling off could dampen spirits.
Deviating from the usual sleep-inducing proclamation, Oak Harbor Mayor Jim Slowik read a poignant tribute to the Growler’s predecessor, the venerable EA-6B Prowler, that also extolled the groundbreaking, sound barrier-threatening new generation of electronic attack.
The mayor, in his remarks, called the Growler “brilliant in its power and technology.” And he said the jet has been placed “where memories are made.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen made it clear that, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he will continue to drum the importance of Navy funding into the heads of D.C. politicians. He said the new technology ushered in by the Growler adapts to the changing, more technical face of warfare.
“The enemy is not as easy to spot as it used to be,” he said. A derivative of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, the Growler, as Larsen explained it, with its unique platform, will be an unprecedented force as technology teams with Navy talent.
“You have very unique capability,” he said.
Donald Winter, Secretary of the Navy, did not phone in his affirmations. He told the rapt audience the arrival of the Growler is a total success story 17 years in the making. Electronic attack warfare has developed and the jets have become the “unsung heroes” integral in ensuring military successes.
“They are indispensable to what we do,” he said. The jet
carry the heavy responsibility of clearing the way for weapon-laden fighter jets. “Their engagement is the key to success at all times.”
The Secretary of the Navy expressed his gratitude to Boeing and the other team members who made the Growler a reality. And it came in “on cost and ahead of schedule.”
“I’m pleased to announce that this has been a success story,” he said, comparing the entire process to a model of what can be achieved with capable minds.
Winter could not disclose the full extent of the Growler’s capabilities, but, if not exactly a revelation, he did let slip that the jet is the “game-changing path in the history of air warfare.”
Jim Almbaugh, a Boeing executive with a longer title than many German movies, ceremoniously delivered the Growler to another title-happy dignitary, Capt. Bradley S. Russell, Commander, Electronic Attack Wing U.S. Pacific Fleet Commodore.
“Mr. Almbaugh, thanks for the airplane and thanks for the plaque,” the captain quipped.
