The U.S. Navy awarded L3 Technologies Inc., Communication Systems-West, a contract valued at $587,386,007 on August 26, 2024, to develop the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) for the EA-18G Growler. NAVAIR rounded the amount to $587.4 million. The contract funds engineering and manufacturing development, prototypes, integration and testing—not a declaration that the jammer has entered operational service.
How much is the Navy’s L3 Growler jammer contract?
The award notice from the U.S. Department of Defense lists the contract at $587,386,007. NAVAIR’s September 10, 2024 announcement reports the rounded figure of $587.4 million. These are two presentations of the same award, not separate competing contract amounts.
The Navy made the award on August 26, 2024, to L3 Technologies Inc., Communication Systems-West; NAVAIR identifies L3Harris as the Navy’s partner on the program. The Defense Department notice describes a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract and says two offers were received through a competitive electronic request for proposals.
The notice also says $66 million in fiscal 2024 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funds and $10,226,989 in fiscal 2023 Navy RDT&E funds were obligated at award. Those amounts are initial funding obligations, not the total contract value.
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What does the $587 million NGJ-LB contract cover?
The work supports engineering and manufacturing development of an external-carriage electronic-attack capability for the EA-18G Growler. The Navy’s contract notice lists test articles, prototype hardware and supporting engineering work:
- 11 pod simulators
- Eight operational prototype pods
- Four jettison mass-model pods and two captive mass models
- Two mission-system prototypes
- Two technique-development systems
- Engineering support, integration, testing and maintenance
The contract supports U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force requirements through a cooperative program. The notice said work was expected to finish in August 2029; that is the schedule announced with the award, not confirmation that the work or deliveries were completed by then.
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What is the Next Generation Jammer Low Band?
NGJ-LB is a planned electronic-attack capability carried externally by the EA-18G Growler and focused on lower-frequency threats. NAVAIR describes the broader Next Generation Jammer program as a series of increments for different frequency bands, using digital software and electronically scanned array technologies to disrupt, deny or degrade enemy air defenses and ground communications.
The program is intended to augment and ultimately replace the Growler’s legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System. NAVAIR’s Next Generation Jammer program page identifies NGJ-LB as being in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase.
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How does Low Band differ from Mid-Band?
| Increment | Focus | Phase or milestone reported by NAVAIR |
|---|---|---|
| NGJ-LB | Lower-frequency threats | Engineering and Manufacturing Development |
| NGJ-MB | Middle-frequency threats | Achieved Milestone C in 2021; first production pods delivered to the fleet in July 2023 |
The Mid-Band production and fleet-delivery milestones do not apply to Low Band. NAVAIR’s published program description does not establish exact frequency boundaries for the Low-Band increment.
Does the contract mean NGJ-LB is in operational service?
No. The award covers development, prototype units and test assets. The phrase “operational prototype pods” describes a contract deliverable for development and fleet assessment; it does not establish that NGJ-LB has been fielded as an operational capability.
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L3Harris said in its September 12, 2024 announcement that its design uses a modular, open-system architecture and would be easier to maintain than the Navy’s current system. Those are the contractor’s claims, not independent evaluation findings. The cited award and program announcements do not report an independently measured operational-performance result or confirm later prototype delivery status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did the program reach the 2024 award?
NAVAIR says the Navy initially awarded the NGJ-LB contract in 2020, then issued an amended request for proposals in 2023 after multiple protests. The August 2024 award followed that process. NAVAIR describes the effort as cooperative between the U.S. Department of Defense and Australian Department of Defence.
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