Navy & Raytheon Accelerate Next-Gen Jammer for F/A-18 Growler EW Attack

By SOFREP,

Raytheon announced on December 5 that it has been awarded a $590-million contract to continue work on the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system, a state-of-the-art electronic warfare solution for the EA-18G Growler aircraft.

This latest contract aims to strengthen the ability of the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to counter advanced radar systems and radio frequency threats.

The NGJ-MB system replaces the aging ALQ-99 jammer with a revolutionary open systems architecture, active electronically scanned arrays, and a fully digital backend.

These advancements enable extended-range operations, simultaneous multi-target engagement, and cutting-edge jamming techniques.

The system, developed jointly with the RAAF, reflects a robust international partnership and was greenlit for production in 2021 following rigorous flight tests.

“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,” said Barbara Borgonovi, Raytheon’s president of Naval Power.

Work on the project is expected to be completed by 2028, with production taking place across Texas, Mississippi, California, and Indiana.