Raytheon delivered the first Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) pod to the US Navy (USN) for the service to begin ground and aircraft integration testing.
The jamming pod is the first of 15 EMD pods to be delivered to the USN for mission systems testing and qualification on the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the service’s carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, Raytheon says.
The company will also deliver 14 aero-mechanical pods for airworthiness certification.
NGJ-MB is a high-capacity, high-power airborne electronic attack weapon system used to jam, degrade and disrupt enemy radars and communication devices. Raytheon says the NGJ-MB can operate at a significantly enhanced range, attack multiple targets simultaneously and use advanced jamming techniques. The technology can also be augmented for other missions or aircraft, it says.
Raytheon Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band
Raytheon
"Delivery of this pod will allow for the initial verification of ground procedures, mass properties, aircraft installation and built-in test checks in preparation for future chamber and flight test," says Stefan Baur, vice-president of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems.
In the third quarter of 2019, Raytheon plans to use 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.
The USN’s Next Generation Jammer programme is funding development of several external radar and communications jamming pods that will be carried underneath the EA-18G Growler, ultimately to replace the aging ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System currently in use. The programme aims to jam three radar and communications frequency ranges used by adversaries by developing three jammers: NGJ Mid Band, NGJ Low Band and, eventually, NGJ High Band.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
