.The Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler will become a new addition to the list of aircraft at the MAPS Air Museum. This aircraft, serial # 163045, served in the Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, which is part of the Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing with the recent nickname of the “Death Jesters“. Our new aircraft was last stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina. Delivery of the aircraft is estimated to be mid-late January, 2019, with assistance from VMAQ-2. NOTE: UPDATE TO SERIAL #: we have been informed that the actual EA-6B that we will be getting is #163047, not #163045. #163047 was also based at Cherry Point but was part of VMAQ-4 and was nicknamed the “Seahawks”.
A pair of Prowlers fly in formation with a trailing Harrier jet.
An additional information Page will be made available soon on the MAPS Air Museum website. Stay tuned for more detailed information on this aircraft and its history.
In the above photograph, a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler of VMAQ-2 ‘Jesters’ accelerates down Tinker’s runway 18 marking the final take-off before delivery to long-term storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona on Nov. 29, 2018, at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The base was chosen as a final fueling point for the aircraft being ferried from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carlina due to the famous hospitality and professionalism of Tinker’s Transient Alert services. The jet is crewed by USMC Captains’ Aaron ‘Bambi’ Staggs, electronic counter-measures officer, David ‘Nicole’ Richey, ECMO, and Evan ‘Fonix’ Bottorff, pilot. Tinker Air Force Base played an important role in United States Marine Corps aviation history recently as three EA-6B ‘Prower’ electronic-warfare attack jets of Marine Electronic Attack Squadron Two stopped in for gas as they flew to retirement at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on Nov. 28-29, 2018. The EA-6Bs of VMAQ-2 ‘Jesters’ were based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, and were the last of the venerable jets to be flown to long-term desert storage from the final USMC operating squadron. While three additional EA-6B airframes remain at Cherry Point, these will end up in museums or as ‘gate-guards’ at Marine Corps bases on the East Coast. The EA-6B has served the USN and USMC since the 1960s. It has been replaced in USN service by the Boeing EA-18G ‘Growler,’ but the USMC mission will end on Friday March 8, 2019, at the ‘Sundown Ceremony’ for the EA-6B and VMAQ-2. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)
