The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has taken delivery of its first Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) Mid-Band (MB) pods from Raytheon, with more deliveries scheduled to arrive this year.
Developed in a collaboration between RAAF, the US Navy, and Raytheon, the NGJ-MB is an advanced airborne electronic warfare system featuring a modular open systems architecture, a fully digital backend, and active electronically scanned arrays.
It will be integrated into the RAAF’s EA-18G Growler fleet as part of efforts to modernize the electronic warfare aircraft.
Canberra ordered eight shipsets with two pods each, which will be mounted under an aircraft’s wings to disrupt enemy radars and communication systems, enabling the aircrew to operate with a reduced electronic signature that improves survivability during missions.
“This delivery marks a significant milestone in our collaborative efforts with the US Navy and RAAF on NGJ,” said Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, with the company providing on-site deployment and maintenance support in Australia.
NGJ Mid-Band
The NGJ mid-band system was intended to replace the Growler’s aging AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System.
After completing Milestone C and being approved for production in 2021, the NGJ-MB system achieved initial operational capability in December 2024.
It is part of a broader NGJ family covering other frequencies, comprising the NGJ-LB (Low-Band) and NGJ-HB (High-Band).
While the NGJ-MB continues to progress, the other two segments have faced significant challenges, with the NGJ-LB awarded to L3Harris in 2024 after years of protest and the NGJ-HB lacking a dedicated navy budget since at least FY 2020, as per Breaking Defense.
