US Navy relocates Growler to the southern Eifel region

Six Boeing EA-18 Growler electronic warfare aircraft - including the 120 man/woman support component of the 134th Electronic Attack Squadron at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island - will be deployed to Spangdahlem in the southern Eifel region this week. The task of the specialists stationed in Washington State on the west coast of the USA is to operate from the aircraft carrier to disrupt, deceive and disable the tracking capabilities of enemy units. Their operational radius is usually 1,000 kilometres - with additional tanks, this radius is tripled. With their special capabilities, they are intended to reinforce NATO's eastern flank while flying exclusively over NATO territory.

It is still uncertain whether these aircraft will remain in the Eifel or, like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning of the US Air Force temporarily stationed there at the end of February, will be moved further east. The EA-18 has been further developed from the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet multi-role fighter aircraft for electronic warfare. Both aircraft types were considered by the German side as possible successors to the Tornado - with a clear leaning towards the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the end.

Spangdahlem, located north of Trier, is normally the base for the American General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Falcon multi-role fighter aircraft and, in addition to the base in Ramstein, is also the logistical hub for the supply of military material in Europe.