Letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

September 7, 2006

The Honorable Bill Young 
Chairman
HAC-D
2407 RHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Jack Murtha
Ranking Member
HAC-D
2423 RHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Young and Ranking Member Murtha: 

As Members of Congress vitally interested in the success and safety of our men and women in uniform, we strongly request that conferees restore the EA-18G Growler program to funding levels presented in the President’s Budget request for Fiscal Year 2007.  The EA-18G is urgently required to replace the EA-6B, which has performed well beyond its expected service life and remains the highest cost per flight hour aircraft in Naval Aviation.  Technological and performance advancements brought forward in the EA-18G will greatly enhance this nation’s electronic attack capability for years to come.

The House and Senate marks directly impact the Navy’s plan to transition from the EA-6B to the EA-18G by delaying Initial Operational Capability (IOC) from 2009 to 2010.  Future transition plans and squadron deployments are also negatively impacted in the out-years.  The HAC-D mark would shut down the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) system production line for one year resulting in a $359M cost increase to the EA-18G program.  Although the SAC-D mark does not shut down the AEA system production line, it jeopardizes IOC and delays subsequent squadron transitions.  Spares reduction in both marks results in unsupportable fielded aircraft due to factors such as initial base standup, increased aircraft utilization rates and spares requirements for actual aircraft quantities that were not considered.

The EA-18G program balances cost and greatly improved capabilities with a minimum amount of risk by incorporating the proven FA-18F airframe and the ALQ-218 receiver suite as the core of a vastly improved Electronic Attack platform.  EA-18G performance, maintainability and support will be equal to the entire Carrier Air Wing and the tactical performance will greatly exceed that of the aging EA-6B.  Digital improvements to the ALQ-218 receiver, ALQ-227 Communications Counter-measures Set (CCS), Interference Cancellation System (INCANS, which permits communications while jamming), Link 16 and an inherent self protect capability will greatly enhance the Growler’s tactical performance and survivability.  This aircraft brings greater capability to joint combatant commanders and it will be more reliable and more effective than the EA-6B.

The EA-18G program represents a model for integration, risk mitigation and affordability.  The program has performed flawlessly for the past three years, continues ahead of schedule and below cost at a Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 1.01.  The EA-18G program has been meeting all cost, schedule and performance parameters set forth in 2003.  Development risks are fully understood, have been mitigated with an operational assessment scheduled to support each LRIP decision as well as an OPEVAL for the FRP decision.  LRIP quantities are carefully structured to meet training requirements, IOC and complete a lowest cost compressed transition schedule by 2012. 

We strongly recommend the EA-18G program be restored as requested in the President’s Budget.  The program has developed a transformational electronic attack platform in the EA-18G that vastly exceeds performance of the EA-6B.  Restoration of this program as proposed in the President’s budget retires the EA-6B on schedule and eliminates continued and increasing risk of flying the Prowler well beyond its expected service life.  Lastly, this is a healthy program and a model for weapons development and procurement which is meeting or exceeding all cost and performance parameters.  Restoring the EA-18G as requested by the President’s Budget will avoid a procurement cost increase and ensure the latest AEA capability is promptly deployed.

We appreciate your attention to and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Pitts
Rick Larsen
Mark Kirk
Norman D. Dicks
Todd Akin
Peter Hoekstra
David Reichert
Jay Inslee
Steve Israel
Charles Bass
Roy Blunt
Wm. Lacy Clay
Doc Hastings
Adam Smith
Lee Terry
Cathy McMorris  

Electronic Warfare Working Group

Congressman Joe Pitts, Founder and Chairman

420 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

202 225-2411 phone    202 225-2013 fax