Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is awarded a $171,629,206 fixed-price incentive (firm target), cost-reimbursable contract. This contract procures three Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot One ship sets, associated spares, gold units for operational test program set development and associated technical data. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Raytheon delivered the first NGJ-MB Engineering and Manufacturing Development pod to the U.S. Navy to begin ground and aircraft integration testing. Raytheon will deliver 15 EMD pods for mission systems testing and qualification as well as 14 aeromechanical pods for airworthiness certification. In the third quarter of 2019, Raytheon will utilize a Prime Power Generation Capability pod installed on a commercial Gulfstream aircraft in order to conduct power generation flight testing and risk reduction efforts in support of the initial flight clearance process.
The NGJ-MB is a program to develop an airborne electronic warfare system, as a replacement for the AN/ALQ-99 found on the EA-18G military aircraft. It will reach Initial Operating Capability in 2021. The AN/ALQ-99 is currently mounted on the EA-18G Growler aircraft of the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, as well as the now-retired EA-6B Prowler aircraft belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps. In the primary role of suppression of air defenses, these aircraft are to provide modified escort jamming from outside the range of known surface to air missiles.
The NGJ-MB provides significantly improved radar and communication jamming performance and capacity, as well as improved reliability and maintainability, for EA-18G Growler crews. Commanders will use NGJ-MB to deny, degrade and deceive the enemy’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum through advanced jamming techniques. Raytheon’s NGJ-MB architecture and design include the ability to operate at a significantly enhanced range, attack multiple targets simultaneously and advanced jamming techniques. The technology can also be scaled to other missions and platforms.
