The US Navy has awarded Raytheon a $590-million contract for continued work on the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system.
This is part of a follow-on production effort to enhance the electronic warfare capabilities of the EA-18G Growler aircraft used by the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Raytheon will provide shipsets, support equipment, spares, and non-recurring engineering support.
Work will be performed in Texas, Mississippi, California, and Indiana through 2028.
“NGJ-MB is a revolutionary offensive electronic attack system for the joint force that puts a critical combat capability in the hands of our Navy warfighters,” Raytheon President of Naval Power Barbara Borgonovi said.
“We’re working with the US Navy to ensure NGJ-MB provides the advanced electronic warfare solution needed as quickly as possible.”
In October, Raytheon secured a $192-million contract to develop an upgraded NGJ-MB, called NGJ-MB Expansion or NGJ-MBX, for the US Navy.
Electronic Attack System
The next-gen NGJ-MB system was co-developed by the US Navy and the RAAF to replace the Growler’s aging analog ALQ-99 jammer.
It was approved for production in 2021 after successful flight tests.
The NGJ-MB features an open systems architecture, active electronically scanned arrays, and an all-digital back end to support the Growler aircraft in targeting advanced radar and non-traditional radio frequency threats, communications, and data links.
These capabilities enable operation at extended ranges, simultaneous attack of multiple targets, and advanced jamming techniques.
