It’s official: U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler is getting the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB), which will take its electronic warfare capabilities to new heights. After the program entered the production and deployment phase last week, Raytheon was officially awarded the $171.6 million contract for making this happen.
When the enemy technology, like air-defense systems and communication systems, is the biggest potential threat, jamming becomes a highly important capability. Either by neutralizing or destroying it, jammers give fighter jets a considerable advantage during combat.
The NGJ-MB is an electronic attack system that comes in the shape of an external jamming pod. Using some of the most advanced digital, software-based, and what Raytheon calls “Active Electronically Scanned Array” technologies, it’s able to counteract electronic threats. Particularly, those in the middle frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, as opposed to low-band jammers.
One of the features that makes the NGJ-MB a game-changer is the ability to jam multiple radars at the same time. According to the manufacturer, this will not only make 4th and 5th generation fighters even more lethal and increase their chances of survival, but actually carve the path for a whole new way of conducting airborne electronic attacks.
This next-generation jammer, which was designed to replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System that is currently used, is part of a larger collaboration between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Australian Ministry of Defense. And, after more than 145 hours of developmental flight-testing and thousands of hours of lab testing at 2 Naval Air Stations, the NGJ-MB is finally ready to enter production.
What about the EA-18G Growler? Developed back in 2007, for the U.S. Navy, this fighter was specifically intended for electronic warfare. And, considering how fast things evolve when it comes to this type of warfare, it was important to keep the EA-18G Growler up to date. This game-changing jammer is a big step in the right direction.
The NGJ-MB is an electronic attack system that comes in the shape of an external jamming pod. Using some of the most advanced digital, software-based, and what Raytheon calls “Active Electronically Scanned Array” technologies, it’s able to counteract electronic threats. Particularly, those in the middle frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, as opposed to low-band jammers.
One of the features that makes the NGJ-MB a game-changer is the ability to jam multiple radars at the same time. According to the manufacturer, this will not only make 4th and 5th generation fighters even more lethal and increase their chances of survival, but actually carve the path for a whole new way of conducting airborne electronic attacks.
This next-generation jammer, which was designed to replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System that is currently used, is part of a larger collaboration between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Australian Ministry of Defense. And, after more than 145 hours of developmental flight-testing and thousands of hours of lab testing at 2 Naval Air Stations, the NGJ-MB is finally ready to enter production.
What about the EA-18G Growler? Developed back in 2007, for the U.S. Navy, this fighter was specifically intended for electronic warfare. And, considering how fast things evolve when it comes to this type of warfare, it was important to keep the EA-18G Growler up to date. This game-changing jammer is a big step in the right direction.