Page 35 - Williams Foundation Future of Electronic Warfare Seminar

A New Approach and Attitude to Electronic Warfare in Australia

The “Final Four” flight is the last time the Prowler squadrons will be flying together before the official retirement
of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1 at the end of Fiscal Year 16 and the eventual
transition to MAGTF EW.

VMAQT-1 traces its lineage back to Korea when it was known as Marine Composite Squadron 1, flying electronic
counter-measure missions for UN aircraft.

Throughout the years, it has re-designated many times and alongside the other Prowler squadrons, flew combat
missions in support of every conflict ranging from Vietnam to operations in Iran, the former Yugoslavia,
Operations Iraqi/Enduring Freedom and everything in between.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2013 that VMAQT-1 assumed fleet replacement squadron responsibilities and was
officially named VMAQT-1. Today, VMAQT-1 trains Prowler pilots, electronic countermeasure officers and
maintainers, readying the men and women it trains to join the other three squadrons as they continue to conduct
missions in support of joint and strategic objectives.

This integration of manned and unmanned airborne and ground EW capabilities will provide the MAGTF
commander with greater flexibility and control of the electromagnetic spectrum and in many cases, will give the
commander a capability where previously they had none.
MAGTF EW assets will be modular, scalable, and networked, utilizing an open architecture that is rapidly
adaptable and remotely re-programmable at the tactical level to support future Marine Corps warfighting
requirements.

As these legacy aircraft conduct their last flyover together, aboard MCAS Cherry Point, 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing respects the incredible support provided by the Marines of the Prowler squadrons over the years and looks
forward to what the future will bring.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/190748/prowler-final-four-division-flight#.Vtwd1cf_s7k

Earlier, we conducted interviews at 2nd Marine Air Wing and Yuma, each of which discussed the transition.

The Prowler is due to be retired in 2019 and will be replaced by a wide-ranging focus on EW throughout the
MAGTF.

One asset that will play a role will clearly be the F-35, which is in Ed Timperlake’s words, a “tron warfare
aircraft.”

And Major Summa, the XO of the Green Knights, who is taking over as the Warlords CO highlighted how the
F-35 affected the EW approach:
Question: Obviously your pilots need to be trained to combine the air-to-air and CAS capabilities and to
use the new organic tools sets as well?

Major Summa: It does.

Now we’re going to have a pilot that’s versed in doing CAS, if he needs to use the electromagnetic spectrum or
exploit it to accomplish his mission, he’ll be educated and have the equipment to do so.
If he needs to use it in the air-to-air arena to exploit it, to accomplish his mission, he’ll have the training and the
equipment needed to use it as well.

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