Northrop Grumman teams with Harris, Comtech on NGJ-LB

Northrop Grumman today announced it is teaming with Harris Corp. and Comtech PST for the Next Generation Jammer-Low Band Demonstration of Existing Technologies competition, a new rapid-acquisition effort to field the second increment of the 21st-century airborne jammer by 2024.

Northrop Grumman announced its teaming arrangement for a $35 million, 20-month contract the Navy awarded the company on Oct. 25.

Interestingly, Harris last month announced plans to merge with L3 Technologies, which on Oct. 25 won a separate contract from the Navy to compete against Northrop Grumman on the NGJ-LB Demonstration of Existing Technologies.

The Northrop Grumman team brings together business units of three companies outside New York City on Long Island, including Harris in North Amityville, Comtech PST (a subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications) in Melville, and Northrop Grumman in Bethpage.

The Next Generation Jammer is the Navy's main effort to recapitalize its airborne electronic attack capability, considered critical to operations against adversaries possessing anti-access technologies designed to impede U.S. military operations by limiting locations for safe operations.

The Navy plans to field the Next Generation Jammer in evolutionary phases, each focused on a different frequency band. Increment 1 will have mid-band capability and will be outfitted on the EA-18G Growler aircraft as soon as 2021. Increment 2 will focus on low-band electronic attack and Increment 3 will target high-band frequencies; both will also fly on the EA-18G.