Washington, Jan 7
US Navy electronic-warfare aircraft known as EA-18G Growlers apparently played a key role in blinding Venezuela's air defences during the military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, a media report said.
In a major defence story, The Wall Street Journal on Boeing's Growlers highlighted Washington's renewed reliance on signal-jamming technology in modern conflict.
The Growler is a carrier-based electronic attack jet designed not to drop bombs, but to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum. During the Venezuela operation, it was part of a large US air armada that suppressed radar and communications systems, allowing special forces aircraft to enter and exit Venezuelan airspace quickly.
More than 150 US aircraft were involved in the operation, the report said, including fighter jets, bombers, and drones. But the Growler stood out because it attacks signals rather than targets on the ground, the Daily said.
Electronic warfare specialists say that is what makes the aircraft so effective. Jamming pods mounted on the Growler listen for enemy radar emissions, analyze them in real time, and then send back tailored signals to confuse or overwhelm the system. In practice, this can cause radar screens to fill with false targets or cause them to lose track of real aircraft.
By doing so, the Growler can prevent surface-to-air missiles from locking onto US aircraft, protecting both strike jets and transport helicopters. A single Growler can shield an entire formation of aircraft, making it a force multiplier, the report said.
The EA-18G is based on Boeing's F/A-18F Super Hornet and replaced the older EA-6B Prowler in US Navy service. It entered operational service in 2009 and is now the backbone of US airborne electronic warfare. Australia also operates the aircraft.
In Venezuela, Growlers were able to work around the country's aging air-defense network, which relies heavily on older Soviet- and Russian-made systems, including versions of the S-300 missile system, according to defense analysts cited in the report. Venezuela also operates some Chinese radar systems, though mostly older models.
However, the experts cautioned that such tactics would be more difficult against a near-peer adversary like China or Russia, which deploy more advanced and resilient air-defense networks. Still, the Venezuela operation underscored how electronic warfare has regained importance after years of relative neglect.
During conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East, US forces faced fewer sophisticated air defenses, reducing the need for extensive jamming. That changed with the war in Ukraine, now widely seen as the largest electronic-warfare conflict in history.
Modern jamming pods are also evolving. Older analog systems, such as the ALQ-99, are being replaced with digital, software-driven pods that can shift frequencies in milliseconds and adapt instantly to new threats. These systems can jam radars, disrupt communications, or create deceptive signals that mislead enemy sensors.
Despite advances by US adversaries, analysts say airborne jamming remains critical. Future conflicts, especially in the Indo-Pacific, are expected to depend as much on control of the electromagnetic spectrum as on aircraft or missiles.
As one former US defence official told the Journal, electronic warfare may not be as visible as fighter jets or ships, but it is "critically important" in deciding who controls the skies.
- IANS
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