Hobby Master 1:72 EA-18G Growler 166894, VAQ-132 Aviano AB, 2011 Operation Odyssey Dawn

To replace aging EA-6B Prowlers, the USN procured a specialized F/A-18F Super Hornet variant, the EA-18G Growler, an advanced electronic attack aircraft. The first EA-18G Growler flight occurred in August 2006, with the first USN production aircraft delivered to VAQ129 in June 2008. Full production began in late 2009, and in 2010, VAQ-132, 138, and 141 were re-equipped with the Growler. In March 2011, a Libyan uprising against Muammar al Qadhafi's government led the UN to issue UNSCRs 1970 and 1973, authorizing International Forces to protect civilians and enforce an arms embargo while maintaining a No-Fly Zone. As part of Operation Odyssey Dawn, five VAQ-132 Scorpions EA-18G Growlers relocated from Iraq to Aviano AB in Italy to help fulfill UN resolutions. EA-18G growler 166894 served as the CAG aircraft during OOD.