Next Generation Jammer (NGJ)

The Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program is a major Navy initiative under Budget Line Item 0591, aimed at modernizing and enhancing the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) capabilities of the fleet. The primary objective of NGJ is to address current and emerging electronic warfare gaps, ensuring the U.S. Navy maintains operational effectiveness against advanced enemy threat systems. The NGJ program is designed to replace the legacy AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, providing improved scalability, flexibility, supportability, interoperability, and overall mission capability.

The program utilizes an Open Systems Architecture, enabling rapid software and hardware updates to counter evolving threats and support a broad spectrum of missions, including strike warfare and operations in contested environments.

Within this line item, the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) (OSIP 002-19) is the focal procurement effort for FY 2026. NGJ-MB is specifically engineered to address AEA capability gaps in the middle frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its goals include enhancing jamming effectiveness against radar and communications systems, increasing the number of simultaneous jamming assignments, and enabling operators to engage threats from greater stand-off distances.

The NGJ-MB system is integrated onto the EA-18G tactical aircraft and is intended to augment and ultimately replace the legacy AN/ALQ-99 system for middle band operations. The program achieved Milestone C in the third quarter of FY 2021, with Initial Operational Capability reached in the first quarter of FY 2025.

The FY 2026 budget request supports procurement of 10 shipsets (each consisting of two pods) of the AN/ALQ-249 NGJ-MB for Lot 6 production. This includes funding for support equipment, integrated logistics support (ILS), production engineering, and essential data packages. The support equipment funding profile has been optimized to prioritize shipset procurement while ensuring sufficient equipment is available for accelerated squadron stand-up, as outlined in the Navy's Master Aviation Plan.

Funding is allocated for organizational, intermediate, and depot-level maintenance capabilities, including transport, loading, maintenance, and repair of the NGJ-MB system. For Support Equipment, the FY 2026 request includes both non-recurring and recurring engineering funds to develop and acquire equipment for all maintenance levels. Specific allocations support the stand-up of Fleet Readiness Centers and the establishment of depot-level test and repair capabilities at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane.

This ensures the Navy can meet its material support requirements and maintain organic repair capability for the NGJ-MB system, in compliance with statutory mandates for core depot maintenance. The Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) component provides critical Fleet Service Representatives (FSR) and engineering support to squadrons receiving the NGJ-MB system. FSRs are essential for installation, modification, maintenance, and training, ensuring smooth transition and high system readiness during initial deployments.

This support is particularly important given that the NGJ-MB represents the first advanced jammer fielded to the fleet in over four decades, necessitating robust training and support infrastructure. Funding for Other Support and Data in FY 2026 covers production engineering from multiple Navy field activities and acquisition of technical data packages, manuals, and repair documentation. These resources are vital for establishing organic depot and intermediate-level maintenance capabilities.

The data funding supports Engineering Change Proposals, technical documentation, and configuration management necessary for ongoing system enhancements and maintenance. This ensures compliance with Title 10 requirements for government organic maintenance capability within four years of Initial Operating Capability.