This list covers both currently and formerly operated electromagnetic warfare aircraft (typically airborne early warning and control aircraft) used by the United States.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Boeing_E-3_Sentry_000629-F-0966E-006.jpg/220px-Boeing_E-3_Sentry_000629-F-0966E-006.jpg)
As such there will be overlaps with the List of United States command and control aircraft and the List of United States airborne early warning aircraft.
1924–1962
editName | Role | Manufacturer | Notes | Year of
first flight |
Introduction | Number built | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Douglas EF-10B Skyknight/F3D-2Q | Electronic warfare/Attack aircraft | Douglas Aircraft Company | Electronic warfare version of the Douglas F3D Skyknight. 35 F3D-2s were converted into F3D-2Q EW aircraft. | Unknown | Unknown | At least 35[1] | |
Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star | Airborne early warning and control | Lockheed Corporation | Developed from the Lockheed C-121 Constellation | 1949 | 1954 | 232 | |
Grumman E-1 Tracer | Carried-based airborne early warning | Grumman | Developed from the Grumman C-1 Trader. Replaced by the E-2 Hawkeyes in 1964.[2] | 1956[3] | 1958 | 88 | |
Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye | Carried-based airborne early warning | Northrop Grumman | Highly used by the United States Navy; developed into the Grumman C-2 Greyhound.[4] Replaced the E-1 Tracer.[2] | 1960[5] | 1964[5][6] | 313 (total); 88 (E-2D)[7] |
1962–present
editName | Role | Manufacturer | Notes | Year of
first flight |
Introduction | Number built | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grumman EA-6A "Electric Intruder" | Electronic warfare (EW)/Electronic countermeasures (ECW) | Grumman | Converted Grumman A-6 Intruder designed for the United States Marine Corps, designed to provide a new ECM platform to replace the EF-10B Skyknights and AD Skyraiders; it served with the USMC during the Vietnam War in 1966.[8][9][10] The last EA-6A had been retired by 1993. Later upgraded into the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler.[8][10] | Unknown | 1965[8] | 27[11]/28 | |
Boeing EC-135 | Airborne Command Post, Airborne Launch Control Center, Tracking and Telemetry Platform, Airborne Radio Relay | Boeing | Developed from the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter. Replaced by the Boeing E-6 Mercury. | 1965 | 2000 | Unknown | |
Grumman EA-6B Prowler | Electronic warfare/Attack aircraft | Grumman | Improved version of the Grumman EA-6A. Replaced by the EA-18G Growler in 2015 in the U.S. Navy and was retired in March 2019 with the U.S. Marine Corps.[9] | 1968[9] | 1971[8] | 170 | |
Lockheed EC-130 | Psychological and Information Operations (EC-130J) | Lockheed | One of the many variants of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. | Unknown | 1975 | 7 | |
Boeing E-3 Sentry | Airborne early warning and control | Boeing Defense, Space & Security | Developed from the Boeing 707-320.[12] | EC-137D: 9 February 1972
E-3: 25 May 1976[13] |
1977[14] | 68 | |
Boeing E-4 | Airborne early warning and control | Boeing | Developed from the Boeing 747-200 | 1973 | 1974 | 4 | |
Windecker YE-5 | Experimental stealth aircraft | Windecker Industries | Developed from Windecker Eagle | 1973 | Never | 1 | |
Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call | Electronic warfare (EW), Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), offensive counter-information | Lockheed (airframe) BAE Systems (prime mission equipment) |
One of the many variants of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. | Unknown | 1983[15] | 14 | |
General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven | Electronic warfare | General Dynamics, conversion by Grumman | Developed from the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. | 1977 | 1983 | 42 | |
Boeing E-6 Mercury/Hermes | Airborne command and control | Boeing | Developed from the Boeing 707-300; utilizes TACAMO; planned to be replaced by the TACAMO Recapitalization Program (E-XX); replaced the EC-135.[16] | 1987 | 1989[16] | 16 | |
Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS | Airborne Battle Management and ISTAR | Northrop Grumman | Developed from the Boeing 707 | 1988[17] | 1991 | 17 | |
A United States Air Force De Havilland Canada Dash 8 range control aircraft that ensures that the overwater military ranges in the Gulf of Mexico are clear of civilian boats and aircraft during live fire tests of air-launched missiles and other hazardous military activities.[18] | |||||||
Northrop Grumman E-10 MC2A | Airborne early warning and control | Northrop Grumman | Based on the Boeing 767-400ER, project later cancelled. | Never | Never | 0 | |
Boeing E-767 | Airborne early warning and control | Boeing Integrated Defense Systems | Boeing E-3 Sentry's surveillance radar and air control system installed on a Boeing 767-200; used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. |
|
2000 | 4 | |
Boeing EA-18G Growler | Electronic warfare aircraft | Boeing | Developed from the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. | 2006 | 2009 | 172 as of October 2021 | |
EA-73B | USAF Gulfstream G550 fitted for Electronic Warfare to replace existing EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.[19][20] Previously known as EC-37B, on November 14, 2023, Air Combat Command redesignated the platform as EA-37B to better identify its mission of finding and attacking enemy land or sea targets.[21][22] | ||||||
Lockheed EP-3 | Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)[23] | Lockheed Corporation | Electronic signals reconnaissance variant of the Lockheed P-3 Orion.[23] | Unknown | Unknown | 12 |
References
edit- ^ "Aircraft > F3D-2Q/EF-10B Skyknight". Marine Corps Aviation Reconnaissance Association. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b "E-2 Hawkeye Airborne Command and Control Aircraft". United States Navy. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ "E-1B Tracer". Naval History and Heritage Command - National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
- ^ "C-2A Greyhound Logistics Aircraft". United States Navy. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b Taylor 1976, p. 291.
- ^ "Celebrating 50 years of Hawkeyes in the sky" (PDF). Airborne Early Warning Association. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "E-2 Hawkeye total production". Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "EA-6B Prowler". Naval History and Heritage Command - National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "EA-6B Prowler | Pacific Coast Air Museum | Navy Electronic". Pacific Coast Air Museum. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Prowler, EA-6B". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ Frawley, Gerald (2002). "Grumman EA-6B Prowler". The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002/2003. Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-55-2.
- ^ "E-3 Sentry (AWACS)". Tinker Air Force Base. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Eden et al 2004, p. 94.
- ^ "E-3 Sentry (AWACS)". Air Force. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "EC-130H Compass Call". U.S. Air Force (.mil). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b "E-6B Mercury | NAVAIR". NAVAIR. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "E-8C Joint STARS". Northrop Grumman. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ J. Davis III, Bennie. "E-9A crews survey gulf, track missiles". U.S. Air Force (af.mil). Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Moving Compass Call electronic warfare system to modern business jet". Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "L3Harris flies EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jet for first time".
- ^ "EC-37B Mission Design Series designation change to EA-37B". Air Combat Command. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ Tirpak, John A. (20 November 2023). "New EC-37B Gets a Designation Change to EA-37B". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b "EP-3E Aries II". NAVAIR. Retrieved 7 April 2024.