Sprucing Up An Old Horse

May 3, 2006

The Navy has tapped Northrop Grumman to produce the Improved Capability (ICAP) III system for an indefinite number of its EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The initial contract award of $73 million will cover four complete systems, another partial system, and spares, with an open end for the remaining units needed to equip a total of 21 Prowlers. Northrop has already modified 10 EA-6Bs with ICAP III. Upgrading the elderly EA-6Bs has taken on new significance, since USAF killed its proposed B-52 Stand-Off Jammer platform, leaving the Prowler as the only current dedicated EW platform in the military’s arsenal. The ICAP III is the latest of five generations of upgrades to the Prowler.

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