AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer (NGJ)

Next Generation Jammer (NGJ), an external jamming pod, is an evolutionary acquisition program providing capability in three increments: Mid-Band [2GHz to 6GHz], Low Band [100MHz to 2GHz] and High Band [6GHz to 18GHz]. Next Generation Jammer Increment 1, an external jamming pod, would replace the AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming system currently integrated on the EA-18G GROWLER® aircraft. The Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) system is critical to Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) and vital for Naval and Joint force power projection. AEA provides sanctuary by degrading red kill chain, allowing blue kill chain to accomplish the mission.

NGJ would address advanced and emerging threats alike, as well as the growing numbers of threats. NGJ Inc 1 uses the latest digital, software-based and Active Electronically Scanned Array technologies and would provide enhanced airborne electronic attack capabilities to disrupt and degrade enemy air defense and ground communication systems.

Like the ALQ-99, the NGJ would be comprised of jamming pods that would fly on the Navy’s EA-18G. Its main purpose would be to counter integrated air defense systems in major combat operations. The EA-18G with NGJ is to primarily be based on aircraft carriers at sea where it is to be employed in U.S. Navy carrier strike groups to counter both sea- and land-based weapon systems. DOD also plans for it to support joint expeditionary warfare missions. The EA-18G with NGJ is currently planned to primarily serve in a modified escort role, in which it is expected to jam enemy radars while the aircraft is outside the range of known surface-to-air missiles. It is also expected to be capable of conducting stand-off jamming missions, in which the aircraft is located outside of defended airspace. In both cases, the idea is to protect or “hide” other systems from enemy radars. The EA-18G with the NGJ is also intended to be used for other purposes, such as communications jamming.

DOD analyses support its conclusion that the NGJ meets a valid need and is not duplicative of existing capabilities in its primary role—suppressing enemy air defenses from outside the range of known surface-to-air missiles. However, these analyses do not address all planned NGJ roles, such as communications jamming in irregular warfare environments, or take into account the military services’ evolving airborne electronic attack investment plans.

The NGJ is not being managed as a joint acquisition program, which is a distinction related to funding, but it is expected to provide the Navy with airborne electronic capabilities that would support all military services in both major combat operations and irregular warfare environments. The NGJ’s capabilities are not intended to meet all of the military services’ airborne electronic attack needs and the services are planning to make additional investments in systems that are tailored to meet their specific warfighting roles.

NGJ would replace the ALQ-99 tactical jamming system and would bring increased jamming capability to the warfighter that is critical to sustaining the future missions of the Navy and other services in strike warfare, anti-access/area denial and irregular warfare scenarios. The goal is to deliver this capability to the fleet in fiscal 2020.

Generation Jammer (NGJ) capability system, with increased electronic radiation power generation to replace the existing ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System. NGJ is required to keep pace with threat weapons systems advances and continuous expansion of the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) mission area. NGJ capabilities would address AEA capability gaps, AEA sufficiency gaps, and address ALQ-99 shortfalls in scalability, flexibility, supportability, interoperability, availability, and capability. NGJ would utilize an adaptable, modular, and open architecture philosophy to combat the increasing capability gap and enable future growth at a reduced operational and sustainment cost.

The ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS) is an offensive Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) system, employed to deny, degrade and deceive enemy use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Initially fielded on the Navy's EA-6B Prowler in 1971 and now employed on the Navy's EA-18G Growler, the ALQ-99 TJS has undergone numerous upgrades to maintain capabilities against threat radar and communications systems in denied access environments. To provide effective AEA capability, the ALQ-99 is integrated on the EA-18G with the ALQ-218 Tactical Jamming System Receiver (TJSR) and the ALQ-227 Communications Countermeasures Set (CCS).

The NGJ is the replacement system for the ALQ-99 to enable countering advancements in radars, communications and highly integrated air defense systems on shore, at sea and in the air. NGJ would provide significantly improved electronic attack capabilities against current and future advanced threats through enhanced agility and precision within jamming assignments, increased interoperability and expanded broadband capability for greater threat coverage against a wide variety of radio frequency emitters. The NGJ System is partitioned into three jamming pod configurations, which also define the foundation of the NGJ incremental acquisition approach: Inc 1 - Mid Band, Inc 2 - Low Band, and Inc 3 - High Band.

The NGJ Inc 2 system would be integrated on the EA-18G tactical aircraft to replace the ALQ-99 TJS Low Band pod configuration. In 2012, the Navy conducted a Low Band Alternatives Analysis (LBAA) to examine a range of materiel solutions spanning modest improvements to the current ALQ-99 Low Band pod configuration to a completely new NGJ Inc 2 pod. The LBAA recommended a "middle ground" solution of a major upgrade to the current ALQ-99 Low Band pod configuration as potentially being able to provide the best balance of affordable capability.

The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, directed GAO to review the NGJ program and potential duplication, to examine (1) the extent to which DOD has assessed whether there is duplication among the NGJ, existing capabilities, and other acquisition programs,6 and (2) the extent to which the NGJ is being managed as a joint solution that supports multiple military services.

The Naval Air Systems Command awarded a Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) contract to Raytheon SAS, El Segundo California, on a sole source basis for the Increment I Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program. Raytheon Co. was one of four contractors involved in the 33-month NGJ Technology Maturation portion of the acquisition process. They identified, developed and matured several critical technologies necessary to ensure an AEA system that would meet stringent Navy fleet requirements and reduced technical and schedule risk in future development phases.

The contract included the design, development, manufacture, integration, demonstration, and test of fifteen (15) NGJ EDM pods in addition to the procurement of NGJ Weapon Replaceable Assemblies (WRAs) and equipment needed for System Integration Laboratories (SILs). This is a follow on contract to the existing Technology Development (TD) contract N00019-13-C-0128 which was awarded to Raytheon on a competitive basis. The NGJ system would initially be integrated on the EA-18G tactical aircraft to replace aging ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System pods.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. § 2304(c)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1: "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements," and more specifically 10 U.S.C. § 2304(d)(1)(B) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii): "Supplies may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment, including major components thereof, when it is likely that award to any other source would result in- (A) Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered in competition; or (B) Unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements."

The Naval Air Systems Command placed a sole-source cost-reimbursement modification under Basic Ordering Agreement N00019-11-G-0001-2049 with The Boeing Company (Boeing) of St. Louis, Missouri 63166, for the procurement of support to assist in the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process in order to identify technical, logistics, programmatic and contractual EA-18G aircraft integration requirements for NGJ. This effort would ensure that the development, preparation and delivery of a preliminary ECP Part I design is suitable to support NGJ entry into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase. It includes the associated program management, technical management, Systems Engineering, and logistic support planning requirements. Planned contract action execution is April 2015. Planned period of performance is 10 months. Boeing is the sole designer, developer, manufacturer and integrator of the EA-18G aircraft in its various configurations and is the only source with the knowledge, expertise, facilities, and qualified personnel necessary to accomplish this effort.

The Navy’s Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) Increment 1 (Inc 1) received the official go-ahead to enter the next phase of development 05 April 2016 when the Milestone Decision Authority signed the Acquisition Decision Memorandum. Mr. Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, determined that the system’s proposed cost, schedule and performance objectives adhered to the proposed acquisition strategy and were in line with meeting warfighter requirements. He thoroughly reviewed NGJ Inc 1’s Technology Maturation & Risk Reduction phase, and upcoming Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) plans at Raytheon, El Segundo, California, 10 March 2016.

During the EMD phase the system would be further developed before being produced. The capability is expected to reach its system-level critical design review in early- to mid-2017. This would finalize the design and allow for the fabrication and assembly of test articles.