(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The United States Navy’s EA-18G “Growler,” an electronic warfare aircraft variant of the F/A-18 Hornet, has reportedly achieved its first aerial kill in operational history during a recent mission in the Red Sea.
This milestone was confirmed in a recent press release by the U.S. Navy.
Operating from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the EA-18G Growler successfully shot down a drone launched by Houthi militants.
The historic achievement was accomplished by a Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130), based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, before being deployed to the carrier.
According to defense news portal TWZ, the Growler that downed the Houthi drone has already been marked with a “kill marking” depicting the drone on its fuselage.
This marking signifies its successful engagement in combat.
The U.S. Navy’s article in The War Zone acknowledged the use of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) by the Growler to shoot down the Houthi drone.
In addition to the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the EA-18G Growler is also capable of carrying AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
In addition to its first aerial kill, the Growler from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower also reportedly destroyed an armed Mi-24/39 Hind helicopter in a separate ground operation.
Furthermore, the Growler employed AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) for the first time in combat during operations in Yemen.
The EA-18G Growlers have been involved in various operations in the southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters, according to a released statement.
The VAQ-130 Growlers conducted seven planned attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and flew nearly 700 combat missions to degrade the Houthis’ ability to threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Since October 2023, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have used a variety of weapons, including suicide drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), often in complex attacks, in their ongoing campaign against foreign warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The Houthis were the first to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles in conflict.
To date, two commercial ships have been sunk, and many others have been damaged by Houthi attacks. — DSA