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.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…