The EA-18G acts as a force multiplier for the US Navy by suppressing modern integrated air defense systems.

At a glance, the US Navy’s Boeing EA-18G Growler looks indistinguishable from the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. However, while the two aircraft share a lineage and the same airframe, they serve fundamentally different purposes. While the F/A-18 was built to serve in a multi-role strike mission, the EA-18G is dedicated solely to electronic warfare. Accordingly, the EA-18G does not drop bombs or engage in dogfights, but instead dominates the electromagnetic spectrum—blinding radars, jamming communications, and suppressing enemy air defenses, allowing other aircraft like the F/A-18 to operate safely. 

EA-18G Growler.

Comparing the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler

The EA-18G is derived from the F/A-18, sharing commonality in training, logistics, and maintenance. However, the EA-18G’s function, and therefore its design philosophy, diverges significantly from that of the F/A-18. Developed in the 2000s as a replacement for the Navy’s EA-6B Prowler, the EA-18G was an economical and expedient fix.

How to Spot the Difference Between an F/A-18 and an EA-18G

While F/A-18 variants can be either single- or two-seat depending on the plane’s configuration, the EA-18G is strictly a two-seat aircraft; the pilot flies up front, while the Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) controls the jet’s robust suite of jammers and receivers from the back seat. This division of labor, comparable to the crew configuration in the retired Grumman F-14 Tomcat or the active McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, reflects the EA-18G’s complex mission.

The most notable visible distinction between the EA-18G and the F/A-18 is that the EA-18G replaces the latter’s weapons capabilities with advanced sensors and jammers. For example, the aircraft’s wingtip pods, where F/A-18s carry air-to-air missiles, are replaced on the EA-18G with electronic receivers. Beneath the wings, the EA-18G carries the ALQ-99 jamming pod, capable of overwhelming or deceiving enemy radars and communications. In aggregate, these systems enable the EA-18G to create a protective electronic “umbrella” for strike packages and carrier groups, a capability that surpasses what the F/A-18 can offer. 

Of course, the EA-18G’s differing mission set gives it certain limitations compared to the F/A-18. While the F/A-18 can tailor its munition package to fit different mission profiles, the EA-18G has very limited capacity for kinetic loadout. The EA-18G’s primary offensive weapon is the AGM-88 HARM missile, which can lock in on and destroy enemy radar emitters. And while the EA-18G retains the ability to carry Sidewinders for self-defense, the jet is not built for close combat against other aircraft. Instead, the EA-18G power lies in undermining the enemy’s ability to fight at all. 

While the two aircraft are visually indistinguishable and share the same performance envelopes, they offer the US Navy very different strategic values. The F/A-18 represents the US Navy’s classic strike-fighter, offering the ability to unleash direct firepower at targets in the air or on the ground. In contrast, the EA-18G acts as a force multiplier by suppressing modern integrated air defense systems, against which aircraft like the F/A-18 would suffer heavy losses without the electronic warfare capabilities provided by the EA-18G.