First AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pod delivered to VX-23

The AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band will start various verification and test procedures in preparation for the second pod delivery early fall.

The first AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) Engineering Development Model pod arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River after a trek across America late July. Members of the combined Airborne Electronic Attack Systems Program Office (PMA-234), Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 and industry partner test teams navigate the newly arrived pod to its temporary home at the VX-23 squadron.

According to NAVAIR, the pod will start various verification and test procedures in preparation for the second pod delivery early fall.

Threats across the electromagnetic spectrum are more agile, elusive and complex than ever before. Airborne electronic attack must have more power, more precision and more reactive speed to overwhelm and defeat advanced integrated air defense systems and ground-based communications. Raytheon’s ALQ-249, NGJ-MB, will ramp up the EA-18G Growler’s ability to counter these threats, and sports an open systems architecture that makes upgrades easy. No other electronic attack system denies, disrupts and degrades threats like Raytheon’s Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band.

The AN/ALQ-249 Mid-band capability, once fielded, will transform the way the U.S. Navy conducts electronic warfare.

The system in fact will address the emerging, advanced threats and increased threat density using the latest Active Electronically Scanned Array, also known as AESA, digital and software-based technologies.

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

– Rapid upgrades through a modular, open systems architecture

The NGJ-MB technology can also be scaled to other missions and platforms.

Photo credit: U.S. Navy