The U.S. Navy’s AN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) successfully completed its first flight aboard a EA-18G Growler at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, Aug. 7.
The first flight, conducted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, is a Safety of Flight (SOF) checkout that ensures the pods can be safely flown on the EA-18G aircraft for follow-on test flights, the Navy sad in a release Monday.
The system was developed by Raytheon for the US Navy and Australia to replace the ageing AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming system (TJS) currently used on the EA-18G Growler by the US Navy and Australian forces. The ALQ-249(V)1 is the first of a family of three EW pods which will make up the NGJ system, the others being the (V)2 low-band (NGJ-LB), and the (V)3 high-band (NGJ-HB) systems.
NGJ-MB is an external jamming pod that will address advanced and emerging threats using the latest digital, software-based and Active Electronically Scanned Array technologies and will provide enhanced AEA capabilities to disrupt, deny and degrade enemy air defense and ground communication systems.
The Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) community has been relying on the ALQ-99 TJS for decades,” said Lt. Jonathon Parry, NGJ-MB Aeromechanical Project Officer. “Gone are the days of isolated Surface-to-Air Missile systems that operate on a small frequency spectrum and do not integrate into a larger Integrated Air Defense System. Modern adversaries are developing complex emitters that use advanced techniques to defeat legacy jamming. NGJ-MB will provide new capabilities to the fleet to ensure spectrum dominance against current and future threats.”
PMA-234 is responsible for acquiring, delivering and sustaining AEA systems, providing combatant commanders with capabilities that enable mission success.