Original EA-6B Prowler retires

By Maj. Timothy Davis and Lt. Cmdr. Donald Costello

June 30 marked the end of an era in aviation as the U.S. Navy's oldest EA-6B
Prowler's engines were silenced forever after its final flight from Patuxent
River to its new home at NAS Pensacola, Fla.

The "Salty Dog" test pilots and aircrew of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron
Two-Three (VX-23) at NAVAIR had utilized aircraft side-number SD 534 (also
known as P-4 and BuNo 156481) for more than a decade as a platform for
developmental testing of the latest EA-6B components, systems, and
capabilities. Now, it will inspire future generations of Navy and Marine
Corps aviators in its final duty assignment as a static display at the
National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola.

EA-6B BuNo 156481 was the fourth Prowler (P-4) of five aircraft initially
assembled and was accepted on December 31, 1969. Airframes P-1 through P-3
began their lives at the Grumman "Iron Works" as A-6 Intruders, but were
diverted to the EA-6B line after production began. The P-4 was the first
aircraft actually built from start to finish as a Prowler.

Of the five original developmental aircraft delivered by Grumman, P-4 was
the only one still flying more than 40 years later.

P-1 was struck by the Navy in January 1989 and currently is on display at
the Prowler Memorial Park aboard NAS Whidbey Island, where EA-6B crews
continue to earn their initial qualifications today. P-2 was struck in June
1980 and P-3 was lost during an initial test and evaluation flight in March
1971. The final production aircraft, P-5, was struck in November 1990. The
final resting places of P-2 and P-5 are unknown.

Aircraft P-4 was originally delivered to Naval Plant Representative
(NAVPLANTREPOR) in Bethpage (NAV-BETH) on Dec. 31, 1969 for her initial test
flights before it was delivered to Weapons Systems Test Naval Aviation Test
Center Patuxent River in May 1970. In November of that year, she returned to
NAVPLANTREPOR for modifications before being delivered to the EA-6B
Replacement Air Group (VAQ-129) at NAS Whidbey Island in January 1971. For
the next three years, P-4 was used to train some of the initial EA-6B
operational fleet aircrew.

In January 1974, she was transferred to the Strike Aircraft Naval Test
Center at Patuxent River.

In September 1979, she made a brief trip to the Military Aircraft Storage
and Disposal Center at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. Then, in August 1980,
Naval Air Repair Facility Alameda (NARF ALA) accepted the aircraft for
modifications prior to its transfer back to VAQ-129 for a six-month tour
after which P-4 was sent back to NAV-BETH.

In August 1985, Naval Air Systems Command took possession of the aircraft
for flight test prior to her transfer to the fleet for operational
employment. Between July 1986 and December 1989, P-4 flew with the "Zappers"
of VAQ-130 and the "Patriots" of VAQ-140.

Following her first turn in the fleet operating forces, P-4 was sent to Navy
Depot (both NORVA and ALA) for further modifications. The "Rooks" of VAQ-137
next employed P-4 between June 1992 and February 1994 after which she was
transferred back to VAQ-129.

Operational employment of these three squadrons at that time included an
around-the-world cruise, deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the
Arabian Gulf, and operations in Somalia and Bosnia.

The Naval Strike Air Test Squadron at Patuxent River, took possession of the
aircraft for a year in November 1996 and was subsequently utilized for
Operational Test at VX-9 aboard NAS China Lake from June 1998 through
January 2001. In April 2002, P-4 finally became "Salty Dog" 534 when it was
delivered to Strike Aircraft Test and Evaluation Squadron, VX-23.

Since then, SD 534 has been a staple of nearly every EA-6B Improved
Capability-II (ICAP-II) test program to include several major aircraft
avionics and weapons system block upgrades, night vision goggle integration,
aircraft component carrier suitability testing, and the addition of the
LITENING pod ISR capability, just to name a few.

P-4 may have been the oldest among active EA-6Bs, but she did not boast some
of the typical flight statistics of fleet aircraft. When 534 shut down for
the last time, she had logged 924 carrier-arrested landings and 6185.9
flight hours. Operating forces trap leader at the end of June was aircraft
BuNo 162934, currently flown by VAQ-137, with 2441 traps, while the flight
hour record belonged to aircraft BuNo 158649 employed by VAQ-135, which had
logged 12,074.3 flight hours.

Although P-4 might not have ultimately competed for the trap or flight hour
records, her initial groundbreaking production test flights, carrier
suitability "off-nominal" catapult launches and arrested landings, and
envelope-expanding developmental test flight hours certainly rank among the
most unique and challenging experiences among EA-6B airframes.

Currently, 91 of the 170 EA-6Bs originally produced are still considered to
be active. The fact that the fourth aircraft ever produced was still flying
for more than 40 years after it was delivered to the Navy serves as a
testament to the excellence of both the original Grumman design and
craftsmanship as well as the continuing dedication of the Navy and contract
maintenance departments that keep Prowlers flying today.

P-4 can now be seen at her final respite aboard NAS Pensacola where she will
continue to serve in a new and enduring capacity as a static display in the
National Naval Aviation Museum providing inspiration to future aviators and
engineers alike.

Today, the Navy is in transition from the EA-6B Prowler to the EA-18G
Growler (a modified version of the two-seat F⁄A-18F Super Hornet), with the
last squadron transition to be completed around 2014. The Marine Corps plans
to continue employing the newest ICAP-III variant of the EA-6B in their four
electronic attack squadrons until 2019.

Wow!  Very cool.  That's a long life, and a lot of service.  We sure got our moneys worth there.



Sad to see them stop flying, but it's good this one won't be getting shredded.
-K

Cool story. Hated to see the A-6 retire, glad to see the Prowler will soldier on for a bit longer. Is it true that one of it nicknames is the family truckster?

pretty sad. I hope they keep flying as long as possible.

the prowler will be regretted, excepted in Cavalese, maybe...

the A-6 was an original and efficient design !

I loved watching the A6's and EA6b's landing on the Indy.

Great airframes and a great history.

max

It's a solid old warhorse, but it's about time we got something that can actually keep up with strike packages again.  We've been without that capability since we killed the EF-111 with no replacement.  



All hail the growler!