Editing Grumman EA-6B Prowler (section)

==Development==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2018}}

===Origins===
By the 1960s, the [[United States Marine Corps]] (USMC) was operating several aging [[Electronic countermeasure]] (ECM) platforms, including the  [[F3D Skyknight|EF-10B Skyknight]] and [[AD Skyraider]]. The service sought to procure more modern platforms; this desire led to the development of the EA-6A "Electric Intruder".<ref name="navyhist prowler">{{Cite web |title=EA-6B Prowler |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/e/ea-6b-prowler0.html |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=Naval History and Heritage Command - National Naval Aviation Museum |language=en-US}}</ref> The EA-6A was a direct conversion of the standard [[Grumman A-6 Intruder]] airframe, equipped with a twin-seat cockpit along with assorted [[electronic warfare]] (EW) equipment. During December 1965, the EA-6A entered [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]] service with the USMC; shortly thereafter, it saw action in [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="navyhist prowler" /> A total of three USMC squadrons were equipped with the type in the conflict; a total of 27 EA-6As were produced, 15 of which were newly manufactured while the others were conversions.<ref name="Frawley_EA-6B">{{cite encyclopedia |first=Gerald |last=Frawley |title=Grumman EA-6B Prowler |encyclopedia=The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002/2003 |publisher=Aerospace Publications |year=2002 |isbn=1-875671-55-2}}</ref> The majority of these EA-6As were retired from service in the 1970s; the final handful of aircraft were operated by two electronic attack "aggressor" squadrons of the [[United States Navy]] (USN). These last examples were finally retired during the 1990s.<ref name="Eden_EA-6B">{{cite encyclopedia |first=Paul |last=Eden |title=Grumman EA-6B Prowler |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft |publisher=Amber Books |year=2004 |isbn=1-904687-84-9}}</ref> The EA-6A was essentially an interim [[warplane]] until the more-advanced EA-6B could be designed and built.

[[File:EA-6A and EA-6B of VMAQ-2 in flight c1977.jpg|thumb|left|The two-seat EA-6A (top) was followed by the four-seat EA-6B Prowler (bottom)]]
During 1966, development of the EA-6B, a substantially redesigned and more advanced model, commenced as a replacement for the [[A-3 Skywarrior|EKA-3B Skywarriors]] then being operated by the United States Navy. The redesign included the lengthening of the forward fuselage to create a rear area that accommodated a larger four-seat cockpit while an antenna fairing was added to the tip of the [[vertical stabilizer]].<ref name="Frawley_EA-6B"/> The EA-6B was powered by a pair of [[Pratt & Whitney J52]] [[turbojet engine]]s, which enable it to attain high subsonic speeds.<ref name = "Hansen 10">Hansen 2006, p. 10.</ref> On 14 November 1966, Grumman was awarded a $12.7 million contract to develop an EA-6B prototype.<ref>{{cite news |title= EA-6B Prototype |newspaper= Naugatuck Daily News |date= 17 November 1966 |page= 4}}</ref> On 25 May 1968, the EA-6B performed its [[maiden flight]];<ref name = "sweetman 8">Sweetman 2002, p. 8.</ref> it entered regular service on [[aircraft carrier]]s during July 1971.<ref name="world">Eden and Moeng 2002, p. 1152.</ref> Three prototype EA-6Bs were converted from A-6As, and five EA-6Bs were developmental airplanes. Between 1966 and 1991, a total of 170 EA-6B production aircraft were manufactured.<ref name="Eden_EA-6B"/>

The EA-6B was continually upgraded over the years. The first such upgrade was named "expanded capability" (EXCAP) beginning in 1973. Then came "improved capability" (ICAP) in 1976 and ICAP II in 1980. The ICAP II upgrade provided the EA-6B with the capability of firing [[Shrike missile]]s and [[AGM-88 HARM]] missiles.<ref name="Eden_EA-6B"/>

===Advanced Capability EA-6B===
[[File:EA-6B AIP.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|EA-6B ADVCAP]]<!-- Thumbnail sizing here needed to make text readable. -->

The ''Advanced Capability EA-6B Prowler (ADVCAP)'' was a development program initiated to improve the flying qualities of the EA-6B and to upgrade the [[avionics]] and [[electronic warfare]] systems. The intention was to modify all EA-6Bs into the ADVCAP configuration, however the program was removed from the Fiscal Year 1995 budget due to financial pressure from competing [[U.S. Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] acquisition programs.

The ADVCAP development program was initiated in the late 1980s and was broken into three distinct phases: Full-Scale Development (FSD), Vehicle Enhancement Program (VEP) and the Avionics Improvement Program (AIP).

FSD served primarily to evaluate the new AN/ALQ-149 Electronic Warfare System. The program utilized a slightly modified EA-6B to house the new system.

The VEP added numerous changes to the aircraft to address deficiencies with the original EA-6B flying qualities, particularly lateral-directional problems that hampered recovery from out-of-control flight. Bureau Number 158542 was used. Changes included:
* Leading edge [[strake (aviation)|strakes]] (to improve directional stability)
* Fin pod extension (to improve directional stability)
* [[Aileron]]s (to improve slow speed lateral control)
* Re-contoured leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps (to compensate for an increase in gross weight)
* Two additional wing stations on the outer wing panel (for [[AN/ALQ-99|jamming pods]] only)
* New J52-P-409 engines (increased thrust by 2,000&nbsp;lbf (8.9&nbsp;kN) per engine)
* New digital Standard Automatic Flight Control System (SAFCS)

The added modifications increased the aircraft gross weight approximately {{convert|2000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and shifted the center of gravity 3% MAC aft of the baseline EA-6B. In previous models, when operating at sustained high [[Angle of attack|angles of attack]], fuel migration would cause additional shifts in CG with the result that the aircraft had slightly negative longitudinal static stability. Results of flight tests of the new configuration showed greatly improved flying qualities and the rearward shift of the CG had minimal impact.

[[File:Nose of FrankenProwler.jpg|thumb|"FrankenProwler" during a pre-flight inspection at [[Al Asad Air Base]], [[Iraq]]]]
The AIP prototype (bureau number 158547) represented the final ADVCAP configuration, incorporating all of the FSD and VEP modifications plus a completely new avionics suite which added multi-function displays to all crew positions, a [[head-up display]] for the pilot, and dual [[Global Positioning System|Global Positioning]]/[[Inertial navigation system]]s. The initial joint test phase between the contractor and the US Navy test pilots completed successfully with few deficiencies.

After the program was canceled, the three experimental Prowlers, BuNo 156482, 158542 and 158547, were mothballed until 1999. Over the next several years, the three aircraft were dismantled and reassembled to create a single aircraft, b/n 158542, which the Navy dubbed "FrankenProwler". It was returned to active service on 23 March 2005.<ref name="FrankenProwler">{{cite news|work=Northwest Navigator |first=Brian |last=Harvill |url=http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/whidbey/vaq_141_frankenprowler_rejoins_the_fleet/ |title=VAQ-141 'FrankenProwler' rejoins the fleet |date=29 April 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124010623/http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/whidbey/vaq_141_frankenprowler_rejoins_the_fleet/ |archive-date=24 November 2007}}</ref>

===Improved Capability (ICAP) III===
[[Northrop Grumman]] received contracts from the United States Navy to deliver new electronic countermeasures gear to Prowler squadrons; the heart of each ICAP III set consists of the ALQ-218 receiver and new software that provides more precise selective-reactive [[radar jamming and deception]] and threat location. The ICAP III sets also are equipped with the Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS), which includes the [[Link 16]] data link system. Northrop delivered two lots and delivered two more beginning in 2010.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=151114 |title=U.S. Navy Awards Northrop Grumman $125 Million Contract to Produce Fourth Lot of Airborne Electronic Attack Systems |publisher=Northrop Grumman |date=29 September 2008}}</ref> The EA-6B Prowlers in service toward the end of its life were the ICAP III version, carrying the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System.