NOTE: 12 aircraft have been ordered with the first expected to roll out in mid-2015. The first aircraft will conduct a 12-month flight test campaign with the U.S. Navy in order to meet Australian airworthiness requirements.

The first five Australian Growler aircrew began training in 2014 with VAQ-129 & graduated from the course on February 27, 2015. The five aircrew will be assigned to U.S. Navy expeditionary units for approximately two years, deploying & operating the EA-18G under the Personnel Exchange Program. It is expected that six full crews will have been trained by 2016.

The first group of Growlers is expected to be ferried to Amberley Air Base near Brisbane, Queensland in early 2017 & will be followed about six months later by the balance of the fleet. The aircraft will be operated by 6 Sqn – the former General Dynamics F-111C & F/A-18F operational conversion unit. In order to accommodate the Growlers, the unit will relinquish its training role & Super Hornets to the air force's 1 Sqn. Further Australian Super Hornet conversion training will be undertaken with US Navy training units at NAS Oceana, Virginia from 2015.