Marotta Controls has received two contracts to contribute components and engineering support to the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer-Low Band programme for the EA-18G Growler. The New Jersey-based company will participate through two separate arrangements: a subcontract from CFD Research and a direct contract from L3Harris Technologies, which serves as the NGJ-LB prime contractor. Under the CFD Research agreement, Marotta will supply technology for the Turbine Speed Control System used within the ram-air-turbine power-generation assembly of the NGJ-LB pod. NGJ-LB forms part of the Navy’s broader Next Generation Jammer programme, which is intended to supplement and eventually replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System currently used by EA-18G Growlers. The Growler is a modified F/A-18F Super Hornet configured specifically for airborne electronic attack, using electronic warfare equipment to disrupt, deny, or degrade hostile radar and communications. The wider NGJ programme covers multiple frequency bands, with the Low Band configuration designed to conduct electronic attack against threats operating in lower-frequency areas of the electromagnetic spectrum. In August 2024, the Navy awarded L3Harris a $587.4-million engineering and manufacturing development contract for NGJ-LB. The five-year programme includes eight operational prototype pods for fleet evaluation and additional test articles for airworthiness and design verification. The system employs digital processing and electronically scanned array technology and is designed with an upgradeable architecture that can adapt to changes in threats and electronic warfare requirements. The Navy expects NGJ-LB to support both American and Australian EA-18G fleets. Marotta said the contracts represent its entry into the airborne electronic warfare sector.
