Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: DaveBB on April 15, 2017, 12:35:33 PM

Title: F/A-18s with tail code AC
Post by: DaveBB on April 15, 2017, 12:35:33 PM

I think I may have saw my first Growlers.  I was driving past the airport (SDF) and saw four F/A-18s parked with wings folded.  The first thing that struck me as odd was the huge wingtip pylons. I know realize that those probably weren't pylons but rather built-in ECM. They were all two-seaters also. The tail code was AC.  That is Carrier Air Group 3.  I noticed none of the tails were painted like some of the transient naval aircraft that come through.

Title: Re: F/A-18s with tail code AC
Post by: Vraciu on April 15, 2017, 01:13:55 PM

The wingtip pods are receivers. 

You're probably right. EA-18s...

Could be these guys.   

http://www.vaq130.navy.mil

(https://cdn3.volusion.com/lzyfh.pzjmg/v/vspfiles/photos/48-054-3.jpg?1463934749)

Title: Re: F/A-18s with tail code AC
Post by: DaveBB on April 15, 2017, 01:20:03 PM

That's them, VAQ-130, USS Truman.  Nice research!

Title: Re: F/A-18s with tail code AC
Post by: JunkyII on April 15, 2017, 01:34:48 PM

Them and the EC130 Compass got some use in Afghanistan to jam repeaters between different valleys.

Title: Re: F/A-18s with tail code AC
Post by: cav58d on April 16, 2017, 12:42:28 PM

https://www.google.com/amp/foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/confessions-of-a-us-navy-ea-18g-growler-electronic-warf-1694954599/amp

I really enjoyed this interview and learned a lot about past, present and future jamming in the Navy.  Worth the read.