The EA-6B Prowler provides an umbrella of protection over strike aircraft and ships by jamming enemy radar, electronic data links and communications.

The Prowler is derived from the two-seater A-6 Intruder attack aircraft. The basic airframe was stretched and strengthened to accommodate a four-seat cockpit. Another distinguishing feature is the pod-shaped fairing at the top of the vertical fin. The EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, mid-wing aircraft manufactured by Grumman Aerospace Corporation as a modification of the basic A-6 Intruder air frame. Designed for carrier and advanced base operations, the Prowler is a fully integrated electronic warfare system combining long-range, all-weather capabilities with advanced electronic countermeasures. A forward equipment bay, and pod-shaped faring on the vertical fin, house the additional avionics equipment. The side-by-side cockpit arrangement gives maximum efficiency, visibility and comfort.

The crew of the Prowler consists of the pilot and three electronic countermeasures officers (ECMOs). The ALQ-99 jammers are operated by the two ECMOs in the aft cockpit. The ECMO in the right front seat is responsible for navigation, communications, and defensive electronic countermeasures.

When NATO warplanes operating in support of Operation Allied Force tear into the sky, there are usually two things they can count on: lethal enemy opposition, and a near neutralization of its threat courtesy of the Navy and Marine Corps. "Without the EA-6B, without the ability to shut down enemy radars, either temporarily through our jamming or permanently through the launch of our HARMs (high-speed antiradiation missiles), then some of these packages would not be able to make it to the target and back safely," said LtCol. Steve Keim, commanding officer, Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2.

The EA-6B Prowler has become a silent hero in Operation Allied Force -- almost always in the sky, in support of most attacks, rarely mentioned in the news, but very appreciated by other pilots.

The EA-6B is an integral part of the fleet's first line of defense, and will remain so well into the next century.