Work on an electronic warfare version of the A-6 Intruder began as early as 1960 with in house studies by Grumman. In 1962 the Marine Corps selected the EA-6A as the replacement for their obsolete Douglas F3D-2Q Skyknights. The initial EA-6A version of the aircraft was a two-seat aircraft very similar to the A-6 Intruder. By 1965 when the first EA-6A aircraft were entering service it had become apparent that technical advancements had already outpaced the new aircraft. Grumman determined that a complete redesign of the aircraft was needed to accommodate these advances. These changes resulted in a larger four-seat aircraft that split the electronic warfare workload between three crewmen. The renamed EA-6B Prowler entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1971. Prowlers served in U.S. Navy squadrons until their retirement in 2014. The Marine Corps plans to have their Prowlers retired no later than 2019.
Wingspan
53 ft
Length
59 ft 10 in.
Height
16 ft 8 in.
Weight
61,500 pounds (loaded)
Maximum Speed
651 MPH
Service Ceiling
37,600 feet
Range
2,022 miles
Engines
Two Pratt & Whitney J-52-P-408 turbojets with 10,400 pounds of thrust each
Crew
4
Manufacturer Grumman
Markings VMAQ-3 (Marine Electronic Warfare Squadron 3), Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, 2016
Serial Number 158542
Designation EA-6B “FrankenProwler”
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