Photo: Senior Airman John Linzmeier · Public domain (PD-USGov) · A U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler flying over the western Pacific after refueling. Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop. Source repository labels this image as altered.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for EA-18G Growler yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Boeing
EA-18G Growler
Carrier-based electronic-attack aircraft with dedicated development and procurement costs beyond the Super Hornet airframe.
Average procurement / aircraft
$82.682M
2015-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Source scope excludes a current foreign support package.
Department of Defense ↗Procurement program quantity
160
2015-12 SAR · U.S. only
Historical acquisition denominator, not current aircraft available.
Department of Defense ↗Development program total
$2.419B
2015-12 SAR · Then-year USD
Historical RDT&E estimate; nominal dollars across the program.
Department of Defense ↗Dedicated electronic-attack program
Growler procurement and R&D are reported as a separate program. The Super Hornet’s airframe relationship does not make its acquisition or operating cost interchangeable with EA-18G figures.
Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$6.55M / yr
FY2018 · Constant FY2018 USD
Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost.
GAO ↗Reimbursement / flight hour
$19,296 / hr
FY2026 · Nominal USD; Other DoD Component
Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
DoD Comptroller ↗Cost over time · 5 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-12 baseline | Average procurement / aircraft Historical program baseline. | $74.6M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| 2014-12 SAR | Average procurement / aircraft Previous annual estimate. | $81.672M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| 2015-12 SAR | Average procurement / aircraft Source scope excludes a current foreign support package. | $82.682M | Then-year USD | Department of Defense ↗ |
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost. | $6.23M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2018 | Annual O&S / aircraft Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost. | $6.55M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2014-06-30 · Current target at December 2015 SAR
U.S. Navy / Australia → Boeing
$2.568B · 48 units in scope
Initial 33 aircraft plus 15 added in October 2015; includes electronic-attack kits, obsolescence work and Australian hardware/support. Ceiling $2,635.3M.
Department of Defense ↗
International buyers
Australia · 12 · Historical acquisition agreement · 2014-06-30
Twelve aircraft within the original 33-aircraft mixed U.S./Australian award; subsequent losses or replacement orders not inferred.
Department of Defense ↗
Coverage & open research
- Figures retain the date and scope of the original source. A historical count, cumulative delivery or procurement plan is not today’s mission-capable inventory.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.