The U.S. Navy’s Fleet Replacement Squadron for the Electronic Attack Wing, the Vikings of Electronic Attack Squadron 129 flew their last EA-6B Prowler flight with a commemorative fly-over at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station on March 14.

“The EA-6B aircraft gave the crew the confidence that they would always make it back to the ship following combat and other operations because of the aircraft’s design simplicity and build quality,” Kent Mathes, former EA-6B electronic countermeasures officer and now NAS Whidbey Island’s Northwest Training Range Complex program manager.

The commemorative flyover marks the completion of the transition of VAQ-129 from the Prowler to the Navy’s newest electronic attack aircraft, the EA-18G Growler. The Prowler first came to NAS Whidbey Island 43 years ago in 1971 and has served in conflicts across the globe.

VAQ-129 now trains all Navy and Air Force pilots and Electronic Countermeasures Officers, or ECMOs, who train in the Growler and will ultimately move into one of the 13 Fleet or Expeditionary electronic attack squadrons attached to NAS Whidbey Island.

The Marine Corps will continue to fly the Prowler for its electronic attacks requirements and will conduct their Prowler training at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C.

The Northrop-Grumman Prowler and the Boeing Growler are considered all-weather, electronic attack aircraft with the primary role of suppressing enemy electronic capabilities through tactical jamming and the delivery of high-speed anti-radiation missiles.

In the cockpit on this historic flight were pilot Marine Capt. Donald Bussell, and ECMO Lt. Cmdr. Drew Norman, Deputy Electronic Attack Wing Capt. Scott Farr and Lt. John Grisham.  After the fly-over, Lt.j.g. Lee Allen was honored as the last Prowler ECMO graduate for his new duty with fleet squadron VAQ-134.   (MC2 John Hetherington photos).

-Courtesy of the NAS Whidbey Island public information office.