New Growler construction may depend on upcoming US Navy exercise

The Navy will conduct a battle exercise off the West Coast next month that could help determine whether another 22 more EA-18G Growler aircraft will be built.
The Navy’s Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group will conduct three days of exercises to see whether seven or eight Growlers on an aircraft carrier — rather than the five currently assigned — would provide better support for attacks from fighter jets and ground forces.
The test will involve eight Growlers on the aircraft carrier.
Thousands of jobs and dozens of suppliers in Missouri are tied to the construction of the plane, which in five years will be the Pentagon’s primary weapons system designed to block and disrupt enemy electronics.
The Navy currently has 138 Growlers in its fleet or under construction, and the 22 extra would be used to boost its capability to work jointly with other branches of the military.
Under pressure to cut the future Defense Department budget in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and large federal deficits, President Barack Obama did not include the $2.1 billion price tag for the new planes in his 2015 budget. The Navy has put the additional 22 Growlers on its “unfunded priorities” list.
stltoday