Raytheon has delivered the first Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod to the US Navy (USN) for ground and aircraft integration testing, the company announced on 5 August.
An artistā€™s impression of EA-18G Growler aircraft equipped with Next Generation Jammer pods. (Raytheon)
The pod, which is the first of 15 engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) and 14 flight-certification trial NGJ-MB systems, was delivered to the navy from Raytheonā€™s El Segundo facility in California. Later in the third quarter of 2019 Raytheon will use what it terms a Prime Power Generation Capability pod installed on a Gulfstream aircraft to conduct power generation flight testing and risk reduction efforts in support of the initial flight clearance process.
As previously reported by Janeā€™s , Raytheonā€™s NGJ-MB pod is part of a wider Block 2 electronic warfare (EW) capability upgrade for the Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack (EA) aircraft that also includes the NGJ-Low Band (LB) and NGJ-High Band (HB) pods.
Janeā€™s C4ISR & Mission Systems: Air notes that the NGJ will be a pod-mounted system that incorporates digital, software-based, and active electronically scanned array (AESA) technologies to create an enhanced EA capability that is capable of disrupting and degrading hostile radar and communications emitters, as well as addressing advanced and emerging threats operating within increasingly dense environments. The capabilityā€™s mission areas are listed as stand-off (supporting deep-strike missions) and stand-in jamming, along with modified (supporting sea warfare; close-air support; irregular warfare ā€“ communications and non-conventional weapon targets; and battlefield air interdiction operations) and penetrating escort.
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