The VAQ-133 “Wizards” have completed the first ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Deployment.
On Dec. 14, 2024, Electronic Attack Squadron 133 (VAQ-133), assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW) 9, returned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, from its five-month deployment to the Middle East and Eastern Pacific aboard USS Abraham Lincoln.
A total of 153 sailors, 18 aircrew, and seven EA-18G Growlers from the “Wizards” of VAQ-133 departed Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, on July 13, 2024, for a historic deployment. This marked the first time the “Wizards” operated with the ALQ-249 Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) and made the squadron the first in the Navy to deploy with the new pod.
According to an official U.S. Navy press release, throughout their rigorous training and deployment, the Wizards demonstrated the future of Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) by developing new tactics, achieving the first NGJ arrested landing, and tactically employing the system:
“This deployment showcased the cutting-edge capabilities of the NGJ and reinforced the critical role of the Growler community in modern warfare,” said Cmdr. Erik Dente, commanding officer, VAQ-133. “More importantly, it demonstrated the skill, dedication, and perseverance of every VAQ-133 Sailor and the families, friends, and loved ones who supported them at home. I could not be more proud of the Sailors, aircrew, and support teams who made this deployment an overwhelming success.”
The 2024 deployment
The Wizards kicked off and wrapped up their deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet, conducting key training missions in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. In August, they also took part in Multi-Large Deck Exercise (MLDE) with the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour Carrier Strike Group and carried out operations in the South China Sea to help maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Midway through the deployment, the strike group was sent to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) region to strengthen the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East amid increasing threat posed by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
While operating in the Middle East, the Wizards played a crucial role in supporting CENTCOM’s goals. They participated in dual-carrier operations with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), flew combat missions to protect U.S. forces, and contributed to strikes aimed at disrupting Houthi weapons storage facilities.
“This deployment will go down in history,” said VAQ-133 Command Master Chief Frederick Tuiel. “While we didn’t get many port visits, what defined this cruise were the significant combat operations—memories our Sailors will carry for years. Bringing everyone home safely makes it all the more rewarding.”
The squadron earned the Commander Electronic Attack Wing Pacific (CVWP) Golden Wrench Award for their outstanding maintenance work, showcasing the Wizards’ commitment to excellence. Their maintainers kept the squadron’s Growlers mission-ready 100% of the time, allowing every assigned mission to be carried out successfully.
“The dedication of VAQ-133’s sailors was unmatched,” said Cmdr. Dente. “From admin and operations to maintenance, intel, safety, and even food services, every single sailor played a part in keeping our Growlers fully mission capable and ensuring every mission succeeded.”
ALQ-249
The U.S. Navy NAVAIR website describes the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) as the next step in Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA). “NGJ is an evolutionary acquisition program providing capability in three increments: Mid-Band, Low Band, and High Band frequencies. Using the latest digital software and Active Electronically Scanned Array technologies, NGJ provides enhanced AEA capabilities to disrupt, deny, and degrade enemy air defense and ground communication systems. It brings increased power and jamming capability at longer ranges.”
The ALQ-249 is indeed part of the NGJ, the U.S. Navy program to augment, and ultimately replace the EA-18G Growler aircraft’s ageing ALQ-99 TJS (Tactical Jamming System) developed in the 1970s for the (retired) EA-6B Prowler.
Within the scope of the NGJ program, the Navy planned to replace the TJS pods operating in the 509 MHz to 18 GHz waveband, with three different pods, designated NGJ-MB (Mid Band), also known as Capability Block/Increment 1; NGJ-LB (Low Band), aka Block/Increment 2; and NGJ-HB (High Band), aka Block/Increment 3; and directed specifically against the low- (100 MHz to 2 GHz waveband), mid- (2 GHz to 6 GHz), and high-band (6 GHz to 18 GHz) sections of the overall threat spectrum.
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While NGJ-MB and -HB would replace the two ALQ-99 pods that Growlers carry under each wing, the NGJ-LB, will replace the low-band pod that the aircraft carry on the centerline store position under the fuselage.
The first test flight of the NGJ-MB took place in Aug. 2020 out of NAS Patuxent River, followed by a Capability Block 1 contract awarded in the fall of that year. The mid-band first and then the low-band pods will supplement the legacy jamming system on the Growlers until the high-band, the last of the three increments, is fielded and the AN/ALQ-99 can be safely retired.
NGJ-MB achieved Milestone C in 2021, allowing the program to enter the Production and Deployment acquisition phase. The Low Rate Initial Production III contract was awarded in March 2023, and the first production pods were delivered to the fleet in July 2023.
The Navy was aiming to declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the NGJ-MB system before the end of September 2024 after development snags set back the test schedule. However, the milestone was postponed again and now the service hopes to reach the IOC by the end of the year.
According to RTX, that engineers and manufactures the pod, the NGJ-MB jammer gives EA-18G crew an edge in today’s extremely contested electromagnetic spectrum through the following:
- Operating at significantly enhanced ranges;
- Attacking multiple targets simultaneously;
- Advanced jamming techniques;
- Rapid upgrades through a modular, open systems architecture;
- Scaling to other missions and platforms.
“NGJ-MB is a revolutionary offensive electronic attack system for the joint force that puts a critical combat capability in the hands of our Navy warfighters,” Barbara Borgonovi, President of Naval Power at Raytheon, said in a statement. “We’re working with the U.S. Navy to ensure NGJ-MB provides the advanced electronic warfare solution needed as quickly as possible.”
Raytheon has also been recently awarded a $192 million contract to develop an upgrade the NGJ-MB system, called Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Expansion (NGJ-MBX). This modification will extend the frequency range of the NGJ-MB system to counter additional threats, says the company.
The latter, may suggest the NGJ-MBX will in the end replace the NGJ High Band pod, considering that there hasn’t been any line item in Navy budgets since at least fiscal 2020 and the NAVAIR website does not mention it.
L3Harris, which initially won the Low-Band contract over Northrop Grumman, faced a protest after the GAO ruled in favor of Northrop. The government watchdog found a potential conflict of interest involving a former Navy employee who worked on program specifications while seeking employment with L3Harris. During the process, the Navy had awarded contracts to both Northrop (teamed with Harris) and L3 for technology demonstrations before L3 and Harris merged. Ultimately, the Navy agreed to reopen the bidding process for the program. The DoD announced on Aug. 26, 2024, that L3Harris won a five-year, $587.4 million contract for the engineering and manufacturing development of the NGJ-LB.
