calls on hangars, offices and ground crews. They provide overall support, training and troubleshooting. Asked about a single-engine startup by Navy mechanics, Enrique Echevarria, a Boeing employee for 13 years and a former Marine, had an immediate answer. He didn’t need to consult a manual; he recited the information off the top of his head. He and his colleagues are able to track down elusive parts or call Boeing’s St. Louis site direct for a solution. Each person brings an area of expertise. “We’re like the free 1-800 number for your Honda,” Boeing field service rep Stokes Kenner said. 32 Boeing Frontiers him more of a sense of empowerment, if not unobstructed sightlines. “I’m flying the latest and greatest,” the Massachusetts native said. “The view in the B-1 cockpit is isolated, like there’s a small airliner window, but I have a bubble canopy now, a 360-degree view, and you really feel like you’re flying with an aircraft that you can strap on.” Australia is the first international customer for the Growler. The first of 12 Growlers is scheduled for delivery this summer. The Growlers will join the Royal Australian Air Force fleet, which includes 24 Super Hornets in operation, in 2017. A half-dozen Australian pilots have Electronic warfare has been the sole domain of the Navy since 1995, when the U.S. Air Force offered up the responsibility. The Growler, however, remains a shared aircraft. American and Australian air force pilots fly joint-force training operations with their naval counterparts in order to stay abreast of the latest jamming developments or to operate these jets independently in the future. U.S. Air Force Maj. Ajay G. flew Boeing’s B-1 Lancer bomber before getting assigned to the Growler as an electronic warfare officer. With its maneuverability and cockpit openness, the newer jet gives
Frontiers June 2015 Issue
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