2014 War Against the Islamic State

EA-18G Growler in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State

U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers were documented flying an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on December 24, 2024.

Weapon profileEA-18G Growler
SideAnti-ISIS coalition and partner forcesRoleElectronic Warfare
EA-18G Growler, Carrier-capable airborne electronic attack aircraft, Electronic Warfare - 2014 War Against the Islamic State
Image source: US Navy 080801-D-8974S-454 An EA-18G Growler conducts

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers flew an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on December 24, 2024.

Sources: CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, DVIDS OIR Growler Combat Patrol Image

The documented side for the catalog row is the anti-ISIS coalition and partner forces, with the aircraft identified as U.S. Navy Growlers.

Sources: CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, DVIDS OIR Growler Combat Patrol Image

The Growler's catalog role is electronic warfare mission support; public imagery does not prove a specific jamming or anti-radiation attack during the photographed mission.

Sources: NAVAIR EA-18G Growler, CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image

Timeline

EA-18G Growler In 2014 War Against the Islamic State

  1. CJTF-OIR established

    The Department of Defense formally established Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve to command the defeat-ISIS military campaign in Iraq and Syria.

    Sources: CJTF-OIR History

  2. Growlers documented on OIR mission

    Official CENTCOM and DVIDS imagery showed U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers flying an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

    Sources: CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, DVIDS OIR Growler Combat Patrol Image

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

U.S. Central Command published imagery of two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers flying in formation during an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. A companion DVIDS image from the same date identified a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler firing flares during an Operation Inherent Resolve mission on December 24, 2024, and said the aircraft were part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group.

The official imagery establishes Growler participation in the OIR air mission. It does not, by itself, identify a specific jamming effect, radar target, or anti-radiation missile engagement during that sortie.

Sources: CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, DVIDS OIR Growler Combat Patrol Image

Timeline

The Operation Inherent Resolve command was formally established on October 17, 2014, to organize military actions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. CJTF-OIR's own history describes the campaign as air operations and coalition strikes during its early phase, followed by partner-force support and continuing counter-ISIS operations after ISIS lost territorial control.

On December 24, 2024, official Air Forces Central imagery documented EA-18G Growlers on an OIR mission in the CENTCOM area. That date is the clearest public, source-backed milestone for the Growler's cataloged use in this conflict record.

Sources: CJTF-OIR History, CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, DVIDS OIR Growler Combat Patrol Image

Narrative

The EA-18G Growler is the U.S. Navy's carrier-capable airborne electronic attack aircraft. NAVAIR lists its primary function as airborne electronic attack and describes a representative combat loadout with AIM-120 missiles, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, and ALQ-99 tactical jamming pods.

Within the 2014 War Against the Islamic State record, the documented Growler role is coalition electronic-warfare mission support. The directly cited OIR imagery places U.S. Navy Growlers over the CENTCOM area during the campaign, while the broader OIR history explains the coalition air and partner-force framework in Iraq and Syria. The public record used here supports deployment and mission participation, not a named target set or individual effects assessment.

Sources: NAVAIR EA-18G Growler, CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image, CJTF-OIR History

Images

Conflict Context

Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers flying in formation during an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility
U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers fly in formation during an Operation Inherent Resolve mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Sources: CENTCOM OIR Growler Formation Image

Related Weapons by Role

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier-capable multirole strike fighterBoeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a U.S. Navy carrier-capable multirole strike fighter developed from the Hornet family for fleet air defense, escort, interdiction, close air support, aerial refueling, suppression of enemy air defenses, and day/night precision strike. The single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F anchor carrier air wings through Block II and Block III upgrades, with documented U.S. Navy use in Afghanistan drawdown support, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Red Sea crisis, Somalia strikes, and U.S. operations against Iran.
F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier-capable multirole strike fighterThe F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical) is the National Naval Aviation Museum's label for the original McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 A-D Hornet family, a twin-engine carrier-capable strike fighter that entered Marine Corps service in 1983 and U.S. Navy service in 1984. NAVAIR describes the Hornet as the nation's first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft; its documented combat record spans Libya, Desert Storm, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and later coalition campaigns.
ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, Tactical jamming pod system, Electronic WarfareElectronic WarfareALQ-99 Tactical Jamming SystemTactical jamming pod systemThe ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System is a U.S. external-carriage airborne electronic attack pod family used to jam radar and communications targets for suppression of enemy air defenses. NAVAIR says it entered service in 1971, served on the EA-6B Prowler before transitioning to the EA-18G Growler in 2010, and remains in use alongside Next Generation Jammer pods, including documented VAQ-133 carriage during 2026 Iran War strike operations.
AN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band, Carrier-based airborne electronic attack jamming pod system, Electronic WarfareElectronic WarfareAN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer Mid-BandCarrier-based airborne electronic attack jamming pod systemThe AN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band is Raytheon's airborne electronic attack pod for U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force EA-18G Growlers, replacing part of the ALQ-99 mission set with two-pod ship sets built around active electronically scanned arrays and a digital back end. It reached initial operational capability in December 2024 and has documented combat-linked use from VAQ-133 deployments in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis and 2026 Iran War.
2 more weapons
Back to EA-18G GrowlerBrowse 2014 War Against the Islamic State

Sources