Raytheon has secured a $580 million production contract for additional Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pods.
The contract was awarded by the US Navy (USN), with the pods destined for its Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets. It also covers jamming pods for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a partner on the NGJ-MB programme that also operates the Growler.
The work will run through 2028. Raytheon did not disclose the number of pods – designated AN/ALQ-249 – involved.
“Offensive electronic attack provides a tremendous combat capability, protecting strike packages, kinetic weapons and high-value airborne assets across a broad range of missions,” says Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon.
“With this contract, we’ll ensure that our naval aviators in all theatres are better prepared to counter adversary threats and support the joint fight.”
In USN service, the NGJ-MB counters threats such as radar, communications, data links, and “non-traditional radio frequency threats”.
As part of an effort to upgrade the EA-18G’s electronic warfare capabilities, L3 Technologies is also developing a Next Generation Jammer Low Band system with an aim to achieve early operational capability in 2029.
The USN’s long-running Next Generation Jammer programme, designed to replace the ageing ALQ-99 system, will also develop a new jammer for threats in the high-frequency band.
