EA-6Bs with interesting markings returning to the U.S. after flying in support of Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
On Oct. 7, six EA-6B Prowler electronic attack aircraft belonging to the VMAQ-4 “Seahawks” of the U.S. Marine Corps landed at Lajes airfield, Portugal.
As the images in this post, taken by our friends at APS- Associação Portugal Spotters, show the Prowlers got some interesting markings and insigna, including a pretty cool and usual Sharkmouth.
163398/RM06 USMC badge on rudder using radio callsign “Tabor86”
163047/RM007 “Agent 007” callsign “Tabor84”
163527/RM “Q4” callsign “Tabor83”
161885/RM09 “Shark`s teeth” callsign “Tabor82”
163031/RM08 “Jam this” callsign “Tabor81”
162936/RM05 callsign “Tabor85”
Tanker support was provided by KC135R 62-3518 “Spirit of kokomo” from AF reserve at Grissom ARB, Indiana.
The aircraft were returning from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, from where they have supported Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in Syria and Iraq since April.
EA-6Bs are among the most important assets in the air war against Daesh: they eavesdrop “enemy” radio signals and jam those frequencies in order to prevent terrorists from talking one another on the radio or cell phone, or use portable transmitters to trigger IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
The ageing Prowlers are being replaced by the Boeing EA-18G Growler, an Electronic Warfare variant of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet that already replaced the EA-6B Prowlers in U.S. Navy service.
Image credit: APS- Associação Portugal Spotters
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Job well done!
This magnificent vehicle and its brother the EA-18G Growler might be returning to Syria sooner than you think, and this time it could be turning its electrons towards Russia’s S400 and other SAM systems over there should Russia foolishly opt to try and shoot down an American aircraft. Finally the U.S. could prove the superiority of its EW aircraft as well as our stealth F-22s as they take out the “vaunted” S400 with ease thereby proving to the world that Russian air defenses are nothing but a paper tiger.
Better yet, let Russia send up some Su-30s. What a pleasure it would be to see those systems – Russian fighter aircraft – destroyed by superior U.S. stealth aircraft. Let’s face it … the Russian pilots would never know what the hell hit them just like the operators of these easily picked-off Russian SAM systems. Oh I’d love it! So c’mon Russia try something you drunken big mouths. Try backing up your hot air by attacking a U.S. aircraft over Syria. After we destroyed you boy would it make my day! We might even get a chance to sink a Russian ship or two. After all they pose a threat in the Mediterranean too. A minor one, but one nevertheless. If Russia tries something, we won’t bend them – we’ll break them! So badly that they’ll never come back. If Russia starts it, by God the U.S. military will finish it! Versus the U.S., Putin is all hot air.
I hate to wee upon your parade here, but it is said that the Russians have the edge in EW.
How Russia’s Edge in Electronic Warfare Could ‘Ground’ the U.S. Air Force
“Russian electronic-warfare powerhouse KRET—Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies— has started testing a powerful new ground-based jamming system that could cut the crucial data-links that enable the United States military to conduct operations around the world. The system is designed to be used in conjunction with advanced Russian-built air defense systems like the S-300V4 and S-400 to disrupt air operations.”
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/how-russias-edge-electronic-warfare-could-ground-the-us-air-15932
Both S-300V4 and S-400 are operational upon Syrian soil.
If you are gonna believe KRET, I’d be more worried that they are weeing down your back and telling you it’s raining!
Dave Majumdar is a doom and gloom sensationalist piece writer. Rarely IF EVER are his articles accurate let alone close to the real thing. I wouldn’t say he is 100% right, but take what ever he writes with a few dashes of salt.