The EA-18G Growler is operated by the Royal Australian Air Force and the US Navy. (Photo: US Navy / Cody Deccio)
RTX’s Raytheon has been awarded a US$192 million US Navy (USN) contract to develop the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band Expansion (NGJ-MBX) – an upgrade to the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system.
The modification of the NGJ-MB will extend its frequency range and provide improved operational effectiveness, Raytheon claimed. The airborne electronic attack system consists of two pods, containing two electronically scanned arrays that radiate in the mid-band frequency range.
The NGJ-MB and the NGJ-MBX form part of a group of NGJ systems that will look to replace the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming system on the EA-18G Growler – aircraft used by both the USN and the RAAF.
“Offensive Electronic Attack provides a tremendous combat capability supporting strike packages and kinetic weapons across a broad range of missions,” said Barbara Borgonovi, president of naval power at Raytheon. “With this upgrade, we’ll ensure our naval aviators in all theatres are better prepared to counter new adversary threats and provide greater combat power throughout their missions.”
The work will be carried out throughout the US in 2027 at sites in Dallas, Texas; Forest, Michigan; El Segundo, California; and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The NGJ-MB completed Milestone C in June 2021 and began production in July 2021. According to Raytheon, the NGJ-MB is built with a combination of active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) and an all-digital back end that denies, disrupts and degrades enemy technology, and enables advanced jamming techniques.
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