Actually, the other VAQ squadron was VAQ-143 which never moved beyond the
precommissioning stage. So, the jets and the training throughput were used
elsewhere in the community. However, the replacement is the EA-18G. IOC
for this aircraft is supposed to be 2009. Although, the Navy is currently
buying only 90 aircraft. This means that the expeditionary role is going
away at least on paper. The 90 aircraft will give 5~6 jets per CV squadron
and about 20 for the FRS. That remaining number of aircraft will constitute
both aircraft in depot and losses. But we see how it fairs on the budget
for 2006.
-Moe

"Ogden Johnson III" wrote in message
...
wrote:

The most of these facts seem obvious, but what about these two
deactivated Prowler squadrons? One of them is expeditionary
(land-based) VAQ-128, but what about the other? Do you have any ideas?

Purest speculation on my part, based on some things I know, and
some I suspect. The EA-6B is, and has been since the USAF
ditched its EF-111As, the only proven, operating, ECM/ECCM asset
the US has. There were a finite number of EA-6Bs made, years
ago; and they have been heavily used over the past few years -
more I suspect, than anyone in the DoD et al NCA precincts
predicted when they acceded to the USAF's desire to ditch the
EF-111A. Water under the bridge. But it means that until a
follow-on replacement for the EA-6B is firmly underway - and
right now there's a lot of inter-service infighting going on,
combined with the ever-present budgetary worries, over whether
it'll be an "EF-18 Growler", an F-22 variant, or whatever. So I
suspect that the Navy [either at the behest of DoD, or on its own
hook] is deactivating those two Prowler squadrons [remember,
EA-6B squadrons are only 5 aircraft] to put 10 EA-6Bs in the
"bank", for reactivation a few years down the road as the ones
remaining active start to face end-of-useful life problems due
flying the heck out of them in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq,
and ghods only know what's to come.
--
OJ III
[Email to Yahoo address may be burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]