The US Marine Corps has deployed a legacy aircraft,the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler,to Incirlik Air Base,Turkey to support electronic attack requirements in the anti-ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve,according to US European Command.The Prowlers are from Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,North Carolina.They will stay at Incirlik for operations over Syria through the end of September on a mission to protect OIR aircraft and ground forces by intercepting and jamming communications.EUCOM characterised the Prowler,in service since 1971,as a force multiplier continuing to do what it has done for 45 years:support warfighters flying in the air and fighting on the ground by giving them the electronic communications dominance to ensure a decisive win.*
MTEWS4 supports the Marine Air-Ground Task Force by conducting airborne Electronic Warfare,day or night,under all weather conditions during Expeditionary,Joint or Combined Operations.Their EA-6Bs have 5 tactical jamming pods;electronic surveillance systems;radar-seeking HARM missiles;non-kinetic fire systems that leave electronic equipment disabled but intact;and countermeasures that mask the approach of our nearby ground-attack aircraft.*
These aircraft will be retired from service in 2019 and the Squadron will be deactivated in 2017 as the Marines move to the MAGTF-EW,a multi-platform concept involving deploying the ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger (IT-II) airborne EW pods in several Marine Corps aviation platforms such as the AV-8B Harrier II jump jets and F/A-18 Hornet combat aircraft,as well as the UH-1Y Venom helicopter;and various unmanned aerial vehicles.The Marines will also be using ground-based EW nodes;and cyber capabilities to provide commanders with an organic and persistent EW capability for every MAGTF,large or small,spokesperson Captain Sarah Burns told IHS Jane's.*
At the same time,President Barack Obama has authorised an increase in the US troop level in Iraq from 3870 to 4087.The new troops,along with 8 Apache attack helicopters,will assist Iraqi Security Forces with the Battle of Mosul,an ISIL stronghold in the north of the country.Mostly US Army Green Beret Special Operations Forces,the troops will move out of headquarters and into the brigade and battalion levels as advisors and trainers closer to the front lines;security forces to protect the advisors;and Apache maintainers.The US will also send additional HIMARS artillery rocket systems to Iraq;and 415 million dollars to assist the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.*
Northrop Grumman (NOC)
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