Saturday, January 24, 2015

Retired EA-6B military jet to be towed through southwest Indiana

The U.S. Navy plans to partially disassemble and transport an EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft from Monroe County Airport, Bloomington, Ind., to a Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Crane. NSA Crane is a naval facility located approximately 40 miles southwest of Bloomington.

The aircraft must be partially disassembled and towed to NSA Crane where it will then be reassembled, the Navy said in contract documents released Friday. “External fuel tanks may be removed. This will be a turnkey operation where the contractor is responsible for all route planning, move oversight, towing of the aircraft, obtaining permits, escorts and coordination with state and local authorities. The contractor shall enter NSA Crane Indiana through the gate located on the Northwest corner of the base at the city of Crane Indiana continuing to a paved parking location approximately five miles inside the gate.”

NSWC Crane Indiana has a long history working on EA-6B Airborne Electronic Warfare equipment. One EA-6B is being retired from service to become a historical static display.

Work on the aircraft will commence immediately after Navy active duty personnel remove and safely secure all ordnance, ejection seat rockets and safely discharge the fire suppression Halon bottles.

Dimensions and weight of the aircraft provided for reference only:

  • Span with outer wing panels folded: 25 feet 11 inches.
  • Length: 59 feet 10 inches.
  • Height: 15 feet 9 inches with landing gear struts hydraulic pressure adjusted to achieving greatest overhead clearance.
  • Weight: approximately 31,718 pounds. Actual weight may differ slightly due to residual fluids and variance in volume of paint on painted surfaces.

Companies interested in supporting the aircraft tow should contact the Navy by Feb. 17.

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