The EA-6B Prowler was a dedicated electronic warfare aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, entering service in 1971. Based on the A-6 Intruder airframe, the Prowler featured a lengthened fuselage and a four-seat cockpit housing a pilot and three electronic countermeasures officers. Its mission was to jam enemy radar and communications, gather electronic intelligence, and support strike aircraft by degrading enemy air defences. A total of 170 EA-6Bs were built. The Prowler served in nearly every major U.S. military operation from Vietnam through Desert Storm, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. It could also carry AGM-88 HARM missiles to suppress surface-to-air missile sites. Despite often operating in high-threat environments, the Prowler had a remarkably low loss rate, with only a handful of combat-related losses, mostly due to accidents rather than enemy fire. The EA-6B was officially retired in 2019, replaced by the EA-18G Growler.
