By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
US Navy weapons experts have been arming the EW-18A Growler Electronic Attack jet on board the USS Ronald Reagan in the East China Sea, a move which likely further seeks to deter North Korean nuclear threats, align with Korean and Japanese allies and prepare for a wide range of maritime combat contingencies. The latest movements of the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group come following a port visit to South Korea, a move which prompted North Korean nuclear first strike threats.
“The US Navy’s Ronald Reagancarrier strike group joined the Republic of Korea Navy’s Sejong the Great-class destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG 992) and the first-in-class fast-combat support ship ROKS Cheonji (AOE 57), as well as Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH 181),” a US Navy essay said.
A published photo of the Navy’s EA-18G being armed with weapons on board the USS Ronald Reagan suggests that the EW platform is participating in ongoing tri-lateral war drills and arming itself with missiles, bombs and the latest in EW attack technology.
The EA-18G Growler aircraft, long-known for shadowing attack formations with EW detection and attack technology, are attached to a unit the Navy calls the Shadowhawks of Electronic Attack Squadron. Arming the Growlers on the USS Ronald Reagan is part of a tri-lateral training and war preparation exercise between Korea, Japan and the US Navy aimed at securing stability in the region and likely sending a clear message of deterrence to North Korea.
In an explanation of its moves to Arm the EW aircraft on board the USS Ronald Reagan, a Navy essay verified the operational focus on the EA-18G.
“The primary role of EA-18G Growlers is to disrupt the ability to communicate between units in combat through the use of electronic warfare,” the Navy essay says.
For many years now, US Navy weapons developers have been sustaining and upgrading the Growler to expand its weapons arsenal, sensing capabilities and electronic attack technology.
It is not particularly surprising that the US Navy’s USS Ronald Reagan would be arming and flying an EA-18A Growler in waters near North Korea, given that the rogue nation has been leveling first-strike nuclear threats following the USS Ronald Reagan’s port visit to South Korea. A news story in the Associate Press said North Korea specifically threatened a first strike nuclear attack regarding the USS Reagan’s visit to South Korea.
This is quite relevant as it is realistic to posit that an EA-18G armed with a Next-Gen-Jammer could potentially be capable of “jamming” the guidance or launch systems of a North Korean ICBM. Passive EW can essentially “listen” for or “detect” electronic signatures and, once a so-called “line-of-bearing” is established, an “active” EW system can jam the electronics, launching platform or guidance systems of an ICBM in the “boost” or early phase of flight before it departs the earth’s atmosphere.
The Next-Gen-Jammer (NGJ) is an extremely significant breakthrough weapon, long-in-development, which has only become operational on the EA-18G aircraft as of last year. The Raytheon-built system represents a generational leap forward for airborne EW as it can operate simultaneously on a wide range of frequencies and perform a sphere of jamming, detecting and EW attack operations at the same time. The Navy operates several variants of its AN/ALQ-249 Next-Generation Jammer, called “Mid” and “Low” Band Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA).
“NGJ provides enhanced AEA capabilities to disrupt, deny, and degrade enemy air defense and ground communication systems. It brings increased power and jamming capability at longer ranges. Additionally, the system allows for rapid hardware and software updates to counter improving and evolving threat capabilities,” the essay explains.
The NGJ will augment, and ultimately replace, the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System that is currently used on the EA-18G Growler aircraft, the Navy description suggests.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
