Enemy jammer takes first test flight aboard EA-18G Growler

Aug. 24 (UPI) -- An advanced electronic system to disrupt enemy communications was successfully used aboard a fighter plane for the first time, maker Raytheon said on Monday.

A U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler plane carried the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band device earlier this month, Raytheon said in a statement.

The jammer is an advanced electronic attack system used to deny, disrupt and degrade enemy technology, including communication tools and air defense systems.

The system can operate at significantly enhanced ranges compared to previous systems in use, can attack multiple targets simultaneously and can be upgraded.

The Navy has been testing the device since July 2019. At that time, Raytheon announced that it will produce 15 prototypes of the jammer, which is housed in a pod beneath one wing of the aircraft.

All objectives were met during the test flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., company officials said. The flight was preceded by 600 hours of Navy ground testing.

With the pod onboard, Growler pilots can rapidly identify and defeat hostile actors in highly contested electromagnetic spectrum environments.

Its superiority derives from its active electronically scanned arrays, or AESAs, which radiate high power-jamming energy to neutralize enemy transmissions, the company said.

The system is designed to replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System currently integrated on the EA-18G Growler aircraft.