The Royal Australian Air Force has taken delivery of its first batch of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pods supplied by Raytheon Technologies, with further units scheduled for delivery within the year.
The NGJ-MB, developed in partnership with the US Navy, is a cutting-edge electronic warfare system built around a modular open systems framework, digital architecture, and AESA technology. It will be deployed on the RAAF’s EA-18G Growler aircraft as part of an ongoing modernization effort.
Canberra has procured eight shipsets, each consisting of two wing-mounted pods designed to disrupt adversary radar and communications networks. This capability reduces the aircraft’s electronic visibility and enhances mission survivability.
The system is set to replace the legacy AN/ALQ-99 jamming system and has progressed through key milestones, including Milestone C approval in 2021 and achieving initial operational capability in December 2024.
As part of the wider NGJ program, the mid-band system operates alongside the NGJ-LB and NGJ-HB variants. While progress continues on NGJ-MB, the NGJ-LB contract was awarded to L3Harris Technologies in 2024 after extended disputes, and NGJ-HB remains constrained by the absence of dedicated US Navy funding since FY 2020.
