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Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, successfully demonstrated an end to end, first of its kind, integrated electronic attack system during flight tests at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in October.

via Raytheon successfully demonstrates complex, integrated electronic warfare capabilities during prototype flight tests – Nov 19, 2014.

For over 40 years, the premier US stand-off jammer has been the ALQ-99.  Of course, over time, it’s evolved somewhat. But it still has limitations, and is increasingly challenged to defeat newer threat radars.

And so, the NGJ, or Next Generation Jammer, has been in the works for some time.

You may have seen our post on the pending retirement of the EA-6B Prowler.  It and it’s replacement, the EA-18G Growler, currently carry the ALQ-99. Assuming development of the NGJ is successful, it will be integrated into the Growler.

Here’s an interesting little tidbit:

The advanced, first of its kind system consisted of an active electronically scanned array (AESA), an all-digital, open, scalable receiver and techniques generator and a self-powered pod mounted on the underside of a Gulfstream business jet.

When we see AESA mentioned, it’s usually discussing a radar. But, of course, since the point of NGJ is to jam radars, it makes sense to use a radar antenna, to some extent.  With an AESA, the jammer can electronically steer a beam of RF energy toward the threat emitter, instead of wasting power by transmitting in a wide sector.

H/T to Spill for finding the article.