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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) EA-6B Prowler   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, October 2, 2008 Prowler jets to return to Whidbey Island By Gale Fiege Herald Writer OAK HARBOR -- A squadron of Navy EA-6B Prowlers is expected to return this weekend to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station from combat operations in Afghanistan. The jets, originally scheduled to arrive home in September, now are set to return early Sunday afternoon, NAS Whidbey spokeswoman Kimberly Martin said. Support and maintenance teams for the jets returned to Whidbey two weeks ago after a six-month deployment. The final members of the VAQ-134 team to come home are the flight crews and their jets, Martin said. The squadron flew 614 combat missions to provide electronic support for ground forces in Afghanistan. During the squadron's deployment, the crews were visited by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, first lady Laura Bush, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and country singer Toby Keith. VAQ-134 is a land-based expeditionary Prowler squadron with three Air Force crewmen assigned from the 388th Electronic Combat Squadron at NAS Whidbey, Martin said. The Prowler is scheduled to be phased out by 2013 and gradually replaced by the EA-18 Growler jet. The Growler is based on Boeing's two-seat, twin-engine F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter, with electronic systems built by Northrop-Grumman for the aircraft's airborne electronic-attack missions. The Growler, which like the Prowler can fly from the deck of an aircraft carrier, will be used to jam enemy radar and radio communications in the air and on the ground. The Growler, with its advanced technology and easier maintenance, has an onboard crew of two, smaller than the Prowler's crew of four. Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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