The U.S. Navy forward-deployed multiple EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets to the reactivated Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, amid rising tensions with Venezuela.
Photographs published by Reuters show at least six Growlers at the base, some equipped with the new AN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer-Mid Band pods, while others carry older AN/ALQ-99 pods.
U.S. Navy EA-18G “Growler” Electronic Warfare Aircraft, likely with the “Scorpions” of Electromagnetic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132), spotted on the tarmac at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Eastern Puerto Rico, after crossing the United States and arriving last night from Naval… pic.twitter.com/GMIX6yTfhq
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Additional Reuters images show U.S. personnel setting up tented facilities at the far end of the runway, which analysts say indicates the base is being prepared to support sustained operations rather than serve as a temporary stopover.
Analysts from Army Recognition note that Roosevelt Roads now hosts the largest U.S. naval and air presence in the Caribbean since the 1989 Panama invasion.
“The Growlers’ appearance in Puerto Rico is not just a striking image; it is a concrete indicator of how the United States is configuring high-end electronic warfare assets for potential operations against one of the densest Russian-supplied air defence networks in the Western Hemisphere,” Army Recognition noted in its report.
The recent deployment follows Washington’s seizure of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast earlier this week and comes after President Donald Trump warned of potential land operations in Venezuela aimed at deterring drug traffickers.
Since September, the U.S. has executed a series of controversial operations against Venezuela‑originating ships accused of drug trafficking to the United States, with more than 20 vessels struck and over 80 fatalities reported.
