EA-18G Growler: Why Venezuela Never Saw The US Strikes Coming

Last Updated:January 08, 2026, 16:39 IST

According to reports, among the more than 150 US aircraft involved in Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela were Boeing EA-18G Growler jets

The EA-18G is derived from Boeing's F/A-18F Super Hornet, but is optimised for electronic attack missions. (AP Photo)

In the pre-dawn hours of January 3, 2026, US military aircraft silently reshaped the battlefield above Caracas, neutralising Venezuela’s advanced air-defence systems and clearing the way for a dramatic special operations raid that ended with President Nicolas Maduro in US custody.

According to defence sources and media reports, among the more than 150 US aircraft involved in Operation Absolute Resolve were Boeing EA-18G Growler jets, specialised electronic-warfare aircraft that played a pivotal role in overwhelming Venezuelan radar and communications networks long before helicopters carrying elite units reached the capital’s heart.

The EA-18G Growler

Unlike traditional combat jets, the Growler does not primarily drop bombs. Instead, it is designed to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum, detecting hostile radar and radio signals and disrupting them with powerful jamming technology. In the Venezuelan operation, Growlers were credited with degrading the effectiveness of Russian-supplied S-300 air-defence batteries and other systems, clogging radar screens with false returns and blocking military communications so that air-defence operators could neither track incoming aircraft nor coordinate a response.

The EA-18G is derived from Boeing’s F/A-18F Super Hornet, but is optimised for electronic attack missions. It carries advanced receivers and external jamming pods such as the AN/ALQ-99, which intercept and interfere with enemy radar and communications signals, and can be armed with AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles that home in on active radars. Its suite of sensors and countermeasures allows it to suppress integrated air-defence systems at stand-off ranges.

Military analysts say the Growler’s contribution in Venezuela underscored a broader shift in modern warfare, where dominance over signals and data flows can be as decisive as kinetic firepower. By blinding and confusing ground-based air defences, the aircraft ensured that stealth fighters, bombers and special operations helicopters could operate with reduced risk, advancing rapidly on their objectives with minimal losses.

News world EA-18G Growler: Why Venezuela Never Saw The US Strikes Coming

Read More