US Navy’s next-gen jammer to harness airflow to suppress enemy air defenses

Marotta Controls, a US aerospace and defense contractor, will be supplying technology for two subsystems on the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer–Low Band (NGJ-LB) program. The NGJ-LB is an airborne electronic warfare pod developed for the EA-18G Growler, a carrier-based electronic attack and warfare aircraft primarily used by the Navy. The New Jersey-based company announced the two contracts on September 2. The work includes a subcontract from CFD Research Corporation covering a ram-air turbine power-generation system and a separate direct contract from L3Harris Technologies, the NGJ-LB prime contractor. A Ram Air Turbine (RAT) power-generation system is a fail-safe emergency system used when an aircraft loses primary power. It keeps the aircraft’s critical functions running during emergencies. The contracts bring Marotta into the airborne electronic warfare market as the Navy develops a jammer capable of disrupting enemy air defenses and ground communications. Ram-air turbine system powers jammer pod Under its subcontract with CFD Research, Marotta will supply equipment for the Turbine Speed Control System within the NGJ-LB pod’s ram-air turbine power-generation assembly. The system forms part of the technology used to generate and regulate power aboard the electronic warfare pod. “This is a proud moment for our team. Contributing to two separate subsystems on the same Navy EW platform is a real testament to Marotta’s technology development process,” said Adit Girdhari, Vice President, Business Development, Marotta Controls. “We’ve spent years developing and refining both our technologies, and it’s gratifying to see them come together on a program this important to the warfighter,” she added. NGJ-LB targets enemy defense networks The NGJ-LB forms one part of the broader Next Generation Jammer system being developed for the EA-18G Growler. The new system is intended to augment and ultimately replace the aircraft’s legacy AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System. Using modern software and Active Electronically Scanned Array technology, the NGJ system is designed to strengthen the Growler’s Airborne Electronic Attack capabilities. It can disrupt, deny, and degrade hostile air defense systems as well as enemy ground communication networks. The US Navy selected L3Harris for the NGJ-LB Engineering and Manufacturing Development program in August 2024 under a $587.4 million contract. The program covers the delivery of operational prototype pods to the US Naval Air Systems Command for fleet assessment. L3Harris is also responsible for delivering additional test assets for airworthiness evaluations and design verification. That work is scheduled to take place over the five years outlined when the main development contract was issued. Marotta enters airborne electronic warfare The NGJ-LB work expands Marotta’s defense portfolio into airborne electronic warfare. Its involvement in two subsystems also places the company within a major Navy program as the jammer progresses through development, testing and fleet assessment. “Electronic warfare is a growth area for Marotta, and the NGJ-LB program is a strong foundation to build on,” added Girdhari. “We look forward to supporting L3Harris, CFD Research, and the Navy as this system moves toward the fleet,” she continued. The contracts connect Marotta’s turbine-control and other subsystem technologies with a jammer built to improve the Growler’s ability to operate against hostile defense and communication networks. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.