Folks need to consider just how deficit (and stretched) IAF will be this decade in combat airframes.
Neither will IAF have anywhere close to an adequate number of AWACS either.
Hence there is need to optimise every single airframe (that we have and will have) with diverse swing roles as possible (even with number of baked in compromises for each one)
So in number of scenarios a SPJ + EW heavy/dedicated outfit for Tejas can make sense to have given this...to at least have the option hedged in enough airframes...in the relevant interdiction routes that are wargamed with likeliest adversaries (these are often quite low range involved compared to say what USN needs with the growler)
Only a much larger number of airframes (either direct mass like say USAF or collective pooling like NATO) would allow more stricter delineation + optimisation of fighter/attack aircraft.
For that India has to grow its economy lot better this decade than it has in prior ones...so that at least the 2030 - 2050 scenario looks better.
It is not ideal situation at all, but IAF simply has to make do....and squeeze as much water out of each stone as possible.
But does that mean the EW Tejas is like a growler per se? Mostly no....it will have to be adapted differently for IAF mission planning.
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Never heard Russians or Europeans/French have any platform which is eqivalent to Growler
Actually they (Europeans) have long history going back with the Tornado (in its EW avatar).
The Tornados in turn incorporated lot of lessons from the F-4 and even earlier thunderchief wild weasels and EW of that Vietnam war era before it....given that is when the highest (Soviet) signals + pattern intel flooded in for the Western alliance to really develop + test + execute EW doctrine deeply.
In fact one can argue the Tornado EW was actually a large part of the basis for Growler (along with prowler in USN).
All driven in its case by USN needing to provide EW/SEAD from CBG rather than rely on shore bases + USAF.
Some of the European NATO Tornado role have been taken over by eurofighter, rafale and recently F-35.
Nothing quite as dedicated to it as say Tornado ECR was/is and Growler is today....but still retain optimised outfits for such tasking.
In the previous (cold war + 90s inertia) era there was less need for the French to commit to heavy EW squadrons as this was tasked in NATO command structure to UK, Germany, Italy mostly alongside USAF
This made/makes something of a shield arc (GIUK - North Sea- Central plain-Mediterranean).... you will notice vis a vis USSR (and Russia today) as these were where the major "1st and 2nd phase" SEAD + EW missions were projected to occur in a war and the French were largely tasked to provide other AF roles behind it.
The French with Rafale have now evolved to have own solid EW platform (if needed) though as NATO force hedging evolves.
Russia you are correct has largely taken different approach relative to NATO (though many of their a/c can be outfitted with EW purpose with some compromise involving say flankers and fulcrums) in that they tend to opt for slower+larger "awacs-lite" airframes and have been spotted using A2G (radar silent) "decoys" in tandem.
They are again making do with what they have till more dedicated scale (as they see it and want) for EW arrives via Su-57 and whatever else.
