US Navy’s EA-18G Electronic Warfare Aircraft to get Self-power Generating Jammer Pod

Raytheon completed the first power generation flight test of the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) which will create its own electricity to jam enemy radars

The U.S. Navy will use the test data to inform the airworthiness authorization decision to fly NGJ-MB on the EA-18G Growler in the spring of 2020. The generator scoops air from the airstream, turns a turbine and creates electricity that enables NGJ-MB to jam enemy radars and communications.

Raytheon conducted three flight tests onboard a Calspan commercial jet to assess the jammer's prime power generation system, known as the ram air turbine generator, at Niagara Falls Airport in New York.

"This is the first time the pod generated its own power outside of a lab," said Ernest Winston, senior manager for Electronic Warfare Systems. "Future tests will verify the power is sufficient to enable NGJ-MB to significantly enhance range, attack multiple targets simultaneously and perform advanced jamming."

Raytheon's NGJ-MB ram air turbine generator is designed to give the Growler more power than it has ever had before to jam at unprecedented levels. Its open architecture and design allow the technology to be scaled to other missions and platforms.

When successfully deployed, the NGJ-MB could give a significant lead to the USN’s electronic jamming efforts as current electronic warfare pods draw from the aircraft’s engine limiting the amount of power it can use.

Raytheon's NGJ-MB denies, disrupts and degrades enemy technology, including communication tools and air-defense systems. Built with a combination of agile, active electronically scanned arrays and an all-digital back end, it gives E/A-18 GROWLER pilots an edge in the hotly contested electromagnetic spectrum.

NGJ-MB enables- Operating at significantly enhanced ranges, attacking multiple targets simultaneously, advanced jamming techniques and rapid upgrades through an open systems architecture. Raytheon delivered the first NGJ-MB pod to the U.S. Navy for testing in July of 2019. The technology can also be scaled to other missions and platforms.