The pods are designed for the EA-18G Growler and can be adapted to other platforms, giving commanders layered spectrum coverage in contested environments. L3Harris notes that the system delivers endurance, range and fidelity that legacy equipment cannot match due to new power, thermal and antenna architectures.
The company says early development required breakthroughs in AESA technology, high power transmit and receive chains and thermal control to enable true high power electronic attack without compromising aircraft performance. A formal protest during development paused work and triggered a review of evaluation methods, technical risks and upgrade paths, which led to more rigorous testing and more robust designs.
L3Harris describes NGJ as a software first system built on an open architecture that can be reprogrammed in months as threats evolve and can share an electronic order of battle across platforms. The Mid Band pod is entering operational service with the US Navy and allied air forces, and the company says demand is growing as the programme progresses from low rate to full rate production.
