Boeing recently delivered the first production EA-18G Growler to the Navy, “ahead of schedule and within budget,” according to a Boeing release. The Navy plans to have the Growler replace the EA-6B Prowler, which it has contracted Northrop Grumman to upgrade to prolong its usefulness through 2018. Even with the extended Prowlers and the new Growlers, Pentagon officials acknowledge an electronic attack coverage gap.
The Air Force is seeking funding to let its pilots fly a little more than 1.1 million hours in fiscal 2027, which would be the most in about four years. But even if Airmen actually do fly all 1.1 million hours, it would still be short of the 1.3 million…