Off topic, but any idea who came up with "Growler?" I used to think it was a joke. Are Admirals that clueless?
I think it has to do with the history of Wild Weasels and EW.
The first Weasel was the F-100F, but it was quickly followed by the F-105
G. This served from about 1967-1984. It was followed by the F-4
G, which served from 1978-1996.
At least in the Air Force, the "G-model" of anything became synonymous with "EW."
In the Navy, "Prowler" meant EW.
Merge the two (since the EA-18
G is supposed to provide EW support for both services)? 'Growler.'
I guess the Generals and Admirals don't know all the bathroom colloquialisms of ill-mannered fighter pilots.
IIICorps stated in an earlier post that there were no A-series aircraft in the Air Force at the time the TFX program was underway. I don't think the SLUF was flying yet (which did fly with both the Navy and Air Force).
The A-1 Skyraider started flying in the Air Force in the 1963. (1963-1972)