The VAQ-135 “Black Ravens” recently scored a trio of “last” accomplishments when their skipper’s venerable EA-6B Prowler touched down at NAS Jacksonville, where it will be retired from service at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE).

Capt. Tom Slais, commander, Electronic Attack Wing Pacific, ticked off the accomplishments. “One –it was the last flight of Prowler 501, two –it was the last Prowler to depart VAQ-135, and three –it was the last flight of VAQ-135 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Hunter Ware, whose change of command ceremony takes place next week at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.”

Ware explained, “About a year ago, we began executing our EA-6B divestiture and sundown plan as part of the Black Ravens’ transition to the EA-18G Growler, a new electronic countermeasures variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. For the past two months, we’ve been flying our birds to their ‘final resting places’ around the country. My 501, born Sept. 19, 1972, has over 12,200 flight hours. Its usable parts will be harvested by FRCSE before it’s prepared for the scrap yard.”

He added, “It’s been a very emotional couple of days with a lot of ‘lasts’ – most likely including my final flight as a naval aviator. But that’s life in the Navy. VAQ-135 will soon be achieving new ‘firsts’ in its transition to the sophisticated EA-18G Growler – a shiny new plane with next-generation weapons systems.”

Following his change of command ceremony, Ware’s next assignment will be air boss aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

Commodore Slais, an NFO who joined Ware on the flight from NAS Whidbey Island, said the Prowler/Growler transition is going well thanks to great support from NAVAIR and industry partners.

“This is the dawn of a new era in the VAQ community. The Northrup Grumman EA-6B has served extremely well for more than 40 years. We’ll continue to fly the Prowler until the transition to the Boeing EA-18G is complete in 2015.”

“The wing currently has 10 fleet EA-6B squadrons, three fleet EA-18G squadrons and our fleet replacement squadron, VAQ-129, that trains Navy and Marine Corps aviators in both platforms. VAQ-135 begins transition training Nov. 1. The Black Ravens will be assigned five EA-18Gs and become the Navy’s fourth operational Growler squadron,” concluded Slais.

In the electronic warfare environment, the EA-6B Prowler is a unique “jammer” aircraft that deploys from both land bases and aircraft carriers to monitor the electromagnetic spectrum and actively deny an adversary the use of radar and communications. The crew includes one pilot and three NFOs, electronic countermeasures officers called “ECMOs”.

The EA-18G currently being delivered to the Navy is derived from the F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft. The Growler incorporates advanced avionics for suppression of enemy air defenses and non-traditional electronic attack operations. The crew consists of one pilot and one backseat NFO called an “EWO” (electronic warfare officer).