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Northrop Grumman has announced a series of milestones in the company’s support of lethality enhancements of US and Australian E/A-18G Growler electronic attack capabilities.
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In a series of major milestones for Northrop Grumman's continuing support for the US Navy and RAAF's E/A-18G Growler fleets, the company has announced a $35 million, 20-month contract to demonstrate existing jammer capabilities as part of the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program.
Harris Corporation will provide cutting-edge electronic attack equipment, developed at its North Amityville, New York operation, to Northrop Grumman for the NGJ demonstration. Comtech PST, a subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications based in Melville, New York, is providing high-power radio frequency (RF) amplifier systems.
Paul Kalafos, vice president, surveillance and electromagnetic manoeuvre warfare, Northrop Grumman, said, "The Northrop Grumman team brings extensive electronic warfare expertise and a long history of building and deploying systems that support the challenging carrier-based aviation environment. We are proud to be working with Comtech and Harris to help the Navy maintain its warfighting edge."
Harris’ equipment is integrated within Northrop Grumman’s NGJ low-band pod system to provide a modular, scalable and reconfigurable capability that will allow the Navy and RAAF to stay current with rapidly evolving threats. Harris draws on its expertise in coherent electronic attack technologies and deployed jamming techniques.
Northrop Grumman’s offer was selected based on technical merit and potential maturity for accomplishing the low-band mission. The company’s solution also provides for the rapid introduction of an operational capability to the fleet.
The NGJ system will augment and ultimately replace the E/A-18G Growler aircraft’s ageing ALQ-99 tactical jammer with advanced airborne electronic attack capabilities for defeating increasingly advanced and capable threats. Developed in three frequency-focused increments – high-band, mid-band and low-band – NGJ will be capable of jamming multiple radar signals at the same time, including surveillance and air-defence radars.
Northrop Grumman's upgrade program for the US Navy's Growlers will see capability improvements developed for Australia's own fleet of electronic attack Growler aircraft.
"Northrop Grumman is a leader in multi-mission electronic manoeuvre warfare technologies and a strong partner of the Australian Defence Force, both through our local business unit and through the US Foreign Military Sales program. We are particularly proud of our ongoing support of the Royal Australian Air Force’s No. 6 Squadron as it employs and enhances its Boeing E/A-18G Growler fleet," said a Northrop Grumman spokesperson.
Northrop Grumman added, "Building on our current expertise as the electronic attack mission suite provider (integrating the ALQ-99 tactical jamming system and ALQ-218 tactical jamming receiver) for the Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler fleets, Northrop Grumman stands ready to deliver continued enhancements and future Growler capabilities for Australia."
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
