US Navy,
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER: A Navy plan to evaluate defense industry development options for a Next Generation Jammer was approved Dec. 5 by John J. Young Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
The NGJ Analysis of Alternatives is part of the Navy’s effort to improve its airborne electronic warfare by evaluating options to replace the current AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, currently installed on the EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
The NGJ AoA is the next step the Department of Defense is taking to meet the requirements outlined in the Joint Chief of Staff’s Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) for Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA).
“Objective AEA capabilities will ensure electromagnetic spectrum dominance over a range of conflicts – including low intensity, hybrid and irregular warfare,” said Ray Coutley, AoA government team lead for NGJ. “The AoA will develop and analyze a wide range of potential acquisition programs that, if pursued, would lead to the development of a system to replace the Navy’s AN/ALQ-99 TJS.”
The AoA will be conducted by a government and industry team that will report to an Executive Steering Committee, co-chaired by Rear Adm. Joseph Aucoin, the chief of Naval Operations Deputy Director for Air Warfare, and Thomas Laux, deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air Warfare.
“The NGJ AoA will evaluate alternative systems in various warfare scenarios, based on expected threats, concept of operations (CONOPs) and cost/capability trade-offs,” said Coutley. “Our goal is to give decision makers the best information available, based on quantifiable data, by leveraging current investments in analysis capabilities in government and industry.”
In addition to government personnel, industry AoA team members include representatives from Dynamic Analytics and Test (DA&T) and Systems Performance and Analysis (SPA) in Arlington, Va., and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.
U.S. commanders recognize the continued requirement for AEA; DoD has responded by increasing the investment in electronic warfare research and development, and has directed the Navy to lead the effort in developing the Next Generation Jammer, said Coutley.
“Next Generation Jammer is the most important AEA effort since the initial deployment of the EA-6B and AN/ALQ-99,” said Cmdr. John Springett, EA-6B/EA-18G requirements officer. “Although we have continually upgraded the Prowler, we now have the opportunity to take advantage of current and emergent technologies to greatly enhance our electronic attack capability and achieve spectrum dominance to protect our aircraft, ships, and soldiers, airmen and Marines on the ground.”
