The Growler has more than 90 per cent in common with the standard Super Hornet, sharing airframe, AESA radar and weapon systems such as the AN/AYK-22 Stores Management System.
Most of the dedicated airborne electronic attack equipment is mounted in the space that used to house the internal 20mm cannon and on the wingtips.
Nine weapons stations remain free to provide for additional weapons or jamming pods.
The electronics include AN/ALQ-218 wideband receivers on the wingtips, and ALQ-99 high and low-band tactical jamming pods.
The ALQ-218, combined with the ALQ-99, form a full spectrum electronic warfare suite that is able to provide detection and jamming against all known surface-to-air threats.
But more importantly the Block 2 Super Hornet will be the first fighter to use its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for electronic attack, with a software upgrade to allow its array of transmit/receive (T/R) modules to be used as a powerful directional jammer.
Under a "sensor integration" plan, the Raytheon APG-79 AESA will be linked to the Raytheon ALR-67 radar warning receiver (RWR) via the fighter's fibre-optic network switch.
The radar's ground mapping capability will then be used to pinpoint emitters detected by the RWR.
BAE Systems' ALQ-214 electronic countermeasures suite will also be integrated so the aircraft can jam emitters.
This will be achieved by putting the -214 ECM jamming signal through the AESA T/R modules to put power on to the emitter.
The EA-18G can be fitted with up to five ALQ-99 jamming pods and will typically add two AIM-120 self defence missiles and two AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) missiles.
The EA-18G will also use the INCANS Interference Cancellation system that allows voice communication while jamming enemy communications.
In addition to the radar warning and jamming equipment, the Growler possesses a communications receiver and jamming system that will provide suppression and electronic attack against airborne communication threats.
Since some of the EA electronics may fall foul of ITAR, we hear Boeing is proposing a Growler Lite model for export.
Stay tuned.