Fighter jets that crashed in Idaho come with hefty price tag. Here are EA-18G details
Two military aircraft collided in the sky near Mountain Home Air Force Base on Sunday. Officials said all crew members survived the crash, but the same can’t be said for the fighter jets, of course — and replacing them won’t be cheap.
The collision occurred at 12:10 p.m. Sunday during an aerial performance at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show.
Video footage showed the aircraft exploding upon impact with the ground. Thick clouds of black smoke rose from the scene, and firefighters were called in to control a wildfire sparked by the crashed jets.
What kind of aircraft were involved?
The destroyed jets were U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers, a high-tech aircraft built for combat. And those jets come with a hefty price tag: Each one costs about $67 million, according to information released by the Navy in 2021.
“The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite,” the U.S. Navy states on its website.
Manufactured by the Boeing Company, the first Growler test aircraft went into production in October 2004 and the plane made its first flight in August 2006, according to the Navy.
The Navy notes that these Growlers were the first newly designed electronic warfare aircraft produced in more than 35 years; they were created to replace the EA-6B Prowler.
This type of jet first saw combat in 2011 during Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya, according to the Navy’s website.
“In the last fifteen years, the EA-18G Growler has spanned the globe in support of all major and rapid reaction action,” the Navy said.
Their capabilities include jamming pods that can intercept, process and jam enemy radio frequency signals; electronic countermeasure technology to prevent jamming by others; advanced radar; and air-to-air missiles.
“The EA-18G’s vast array of sensors and weapons provides the warfighter with a lethal and survivable weapon system to counter current and emerging threats,” according to the United States Naval Academy website.
The Growlers measure 60.2 feet by 16 feet, and weigh more than 33,000 tons when empty. They can fly at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet, and have a wingspan of 44.9 feet. Two F414-GE-400 turbofan engines provide the jets with 22,000 pounds of static thrust per engine, according to the Navy.
The majority of Growlers are kept at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, and flown by Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129.
Who was flying the Growlers?
Each E/A-18G flies with one pilot and one electronic warfare officer. At the Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighter Skies Air Show over the weekend, they were being flown by four crew members of the Growler Airshow Team from Whidbey Island, the Air Force said.
All four crew members successfully ejected and deployed parachutes. Three of them escaped collision without any injuries, and one was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury, Commander Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, told the Idaho Statesman in an email.
The demo team has performed in many previous air shows, and has been posting video footage of their demonstrations on social media since at least 2020.
“Each team member has undergone rigorous training to master flying this advanced aircraft,” the Abbotsford International Airshow website states. “The result is a thrilling demonstration of the EA-18 Growler Demo Team’s capabilities, combining jaw-dropping acrobatics with precise air combat maneuvering. ”
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island did not respond to the Statesman’s request for an interview regarding these aircraft and its plans to replace them.
