EA-18G vs ES-3

R. David Steele wrote:
I have been out of the loop for a while. Hope that you folks
might bring me up to speed. What happened to the ES-3? At the
time it looked like it could do the SIGINT/ELINT mission as it
had room for the gear plus a crew of four. Made it a good
replacement for the EA-6.

The ES-3 was never a replacement for the EA-6. It did ELINT collection
while the EA-6 did jamming and SEAD. The ES-3 disappeared in 1999 thanks to
funding shortages.

What it that the ES-3, like the EA-6, can not keep with the
F/A-18 and the F-35? Or is this just a bone to Boeing?

The S-3 is even slower than the EA-6. That's why they weren't able to use
the S-3 as a mission tanker for strike fighters like the F/A-18.

I assume that the EA-18G will only have a crew of two. But then
isn't the F/A-18 now being used for refueling along with the S-3?

Soon to be "instead of" the S-3. When more air wings deploy with two Super
Hornet squadrons, the plan is for them not to have any S-3s. Single-seat
Super Hornets do tanker duties.


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