Commander, Naval Air Forces, Vice Adm. James M. Zortman, along with base Commanding Officer, Capt. Syd Abernethy and Electronic Attack Wing Commander, Capt. Chris Field, met with area government and other Navy officials here Monday to discuss the planned replacement of the EA-6B Prowler.

To meet the Department of Defense’s continuing requirement for airborne electronic attack, the Navy announced its plan to replace the four-seat, 30-year-old Prowler with a variant of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet airframe.

The Navy plans to begin its transition of the 10 Whidbey Island-based Prowler squadrons in FY 2008, with the transition of all carrier air wing squadrons complete in 2013. A total of 57 EA-18G aircraft will replace the current 68-plane inventory.

In line with Chief of Naval Operation guidance that speed, agility and a commitment to joint and coalition interoperability are core attributes of this transforming Navy, the EA-18G’s capabilities have been designed to integrate within the joint services, and will be a valuable component of the Airborne Electronic Attack mission.

The U.S. Navy remains committed to balancing training requirements with community considerations.

Invited to the community outreach brief were U.S. House Representative, District 10; Washington State legislators; commissioners from Island, Skagit and San Juan Counties; and city leadership from the cities of Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Anacortes and La Conner.