ITT/Boeing receives $42 million contract for Jammer program by NAVAIR

The team of ITT Corporation and The Boeing Company today announced an award of $42 million from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to proceed to the Technology Maturation stage of the Next Generation Jammer program, designed to be the world’s most sophisticated airborne electronic attack system. The program, valued at over $2 billion, will replace the current inventory of aging ALQ-99 jamming pods on the Navy’s newest airborne electronic attack aircraft, the Boeing EA-18G Growler. The Next Generation Jammer pod will also be a stepping stone to an F-35, Joint Strike Fighter, Electronic Attack capability. “Electronic attack capabilities have been integral in maintaining U.S. and allied air superiority in the past four decades,” said Chris Bernhardt, President of ITT Electronic Systems. “And, as the capabilities of potential enemies continue to grow, our own technologies must continue to outpace them.” The Next Generation Jammer will help ensure that U.S. forces have complete dominance of the electronic spectrum, providing a comprehensive capability to disrupt and disable enemy communications and radars. “Beyond its superior work in designing and delivering the EA-18G on-time and on-budget, Boeing brings unparalleled experience in pod design and systems integration, both critical aspects of the total NGJ package,” Bernhardt added. In the NGJ Technology Maturation phase, the ITT and Boeing team will conduct analyses and design of critical technology elements of the system to ensure the proposed solution is affordable, low risk and capable of delivering superior operational effectiveness. ITT’s solution will be based on significant technological advantages achieved in the critical areas of broadband electronically steerable antenna arrays and advanced digital exciters, providing the U.S. Navy the programmability, scalability, modularity and open systems architecture that will allow the Growler to stay ahead of the ever changing threat for years to come. One of the most important improvements will be ITT’s advances in broadband electronically steerable antenna arrays and advanced digital exciter technology. The Next Generation Jammer is also being designed with modular open systems architecture (MOSA), enabling simpler upgrades throughout the system’s lifespan. “ITT is regarded worldwide as an industry leader in successfully transitioning advanced Electronic Warfare technologies from concepts to fielded systems,” said Rick Martin, Director, Electronic Warfare Solutions, Boeing Phantom Works. "The ITT-Boeing team brings together tremendous resources to develop the NGJ and integrate it into the joint electronic attack system of systems.” The ITT/Boeing effort will be led from ITT Electronic Systems in Clifton, N.J. with work also being performed at Boeing’s Phantom Works facility in St. Louis.