The National Museum of Naval Aviation received a valuable addition to its collection of fighter jets this week.

Wednesday evening, the museum received an EA-6B Prowler aircraft, which was retired from duty this week after more than 40 years of Navy service.

“This is one of the original five made and was still in service until yesterday,” said Shelley Ragsdale, director of marketing for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

The EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft that was designed in the late 1960s. Its main mission is to shut down enemy radar defenses and communications systems using powerful electronic jammers and radar-seeking missiles.

The first three EA-6B aircraft constructed were prototypes, built on highly modified A-6 Intruder attack aircraft airframes.

The EA-6B that the museum received was the fourth EA-6B ever built. It was the first that was constructed from the ground up in the factory as a Prowler, rather than converted from an A-6 Intruder.

The jet, dubbed “P-4″ as the fourth Prowler, entered active Naval service on Dec. 31, 1969. It remained in service until it was delivered to Pensacola Naval Air Station from NAS Patuxent River, Md.

The plane was towed to the museum’s restoration hangar Thursday to be assessed for restoration.

Once restored, the plane will likely be showcased in the museum’s new hangar addition, which is set to open in November and will display a collection of modern jets.

“(The EA-6B) has a lot of unique characteristics to it, and capabilities that the general public will never know about,” said Chip Yarbrough, operational manager for the National Flight Academy.

Many of the Prowler’s electronic capabilities remain classified, but a single aircraft is reportedly able to “blank out” enemy communications over an area the size of a city.

The Navy is working on replacing the EA-6B Prowler with the EA-18G Growler, with the final squadron transition set for 2014.

The phasing out of the Prowler makes the addition of the P-4 an even more prized addition to the museum’s lineup.

“I’m just excited we got one,” Yarbrough said.

The museum hangar’s collection currently boasts various other noteworthy aircraft, including an F8U Crusader that was used for photo reconnaissance during the Cuban missile crisis.

The next project that the museum is working on for its hangar exhibit is the recovery and restoration of a rare Corsair model aircraft from Lake Michigan.

Originally published by the Pensacola News Journal.