Airbus to fly new CUAS UAV prototype this year
The counter-UAS prototype, named Low-cost Air Defence or ‘LOAD’, will be used to combat kamikaze UAS.
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.
The counter-UAS prototype, named Low-cost Air Defence or ‘LOAD’, will be used to combat kamikaze UAS.
The aircraft is the first of 66 to be delivered to Taiwan from Lockheed Martin.
The contract award, worth $240 million, is part of the ongoing effort by the US Army to modernise its Block II Chinook rotorcraft fleet.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been substantially refreshed in the past two decades including F-35A and F/A-18F fighter aircraft, as well as the addition of transport aircraft such as C-17s, C-130 variants and C-27Js. Additional aircraft may only be a medium-term prospect.
Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) industrial plan is ambitious and promises big spending in an effort to create a local and sovereign capability. Companies at last week’s Australian International Airshow near Melbourne were making their pitches.
The Strix test effort suffered a setback last year when the prototype incurred minor damage in a hard landing during its second trial flight.