EA-18G Growler Aircraft

The EA-18G Growler Aircraft program is a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) managed by the U.S. Department of the Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The program encompasses the acquisition, sustainment, and modernization of the EA-18G Growler, a tactical electronic warfare variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet used for radar and communications jamming missions. The program follows the Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) pathway and is designated as an Acquisition Category IC program.

Contract awards under this program range from small delivery orders of $3,000-$50,000 for specialized components to major production contracts exceeding $600 million for aircraft systems and electronic warfare capabilities. Primary contractors include The Boeing Company as the aircraft manufacturer, Raytheon for missile launchers and the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band system, Lockheed Martin for infrared search and track systems, and General Electric for F414 engines. Notable small business contractors include Loughmiller Machine, Tool & Design, MSP Aviation, and D-J Engineering, who provide specialized manufacturing services for components and assemblies. The majority of contracts are awarded without set-aside designations through NAVAIR and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Primary places of performance include St. Louis, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; and various manufacturing facilities in Indiana. Contract durations typically range from 3 months for component delivery orders to 5-7 years for major systems development and production efforts.