L3Harris Technologies has received a $876.44 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to continue engineering and manufacturing development of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB), an airborne electronic warfare system intended to improve the EA-18G Growler’s ability to disrupt lower-frequency radar and communications systems.
Announced on October 19, 2026, the undefinitized contract modification funds additional equipment, demonstration pods, cybersecurity development, testing and software support. The award advances a program intended to address gaps in the Navy’s airborne electronic attack capability as potential adversaries improve their radar networks and integrated air defenses.
The award does not establish that NGJ-LB has entered operational service. The Navy’s published program information identifies the system as being in the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with further testing required before its operational readiness can be assessed.
What the $876.4 million award covers
L3Harris said the modification supports the next phase of the NGJ-LB engineering and manufacturing development effort. The company identified several areas of work:
- Non-recurring tooling, equipment and associated labor.
- Delivery of system demonstration test article pods.
- Additional cybersecurity and system security development.
- Product and logistics support.
- Testing, evaluation and software support for the Naval Air Systems Command, known as NAVAIR.
The contract is described as undefinitized, meaning the parties have not yet finalized all contractual terms. The announced amount should therefore be understood as the value associated with the modification, not as evidence that all work has been completed or that the system is ready for deployment. The announcement does not provide a revised operational fielding date.
The award also needs to be distinguished from the program’s earlier development contracts. In December 2020, the Navy awarded L3Harris an approximately $496 million engineering and manufacturing development contract. In August 2024, it awarded a further contract valued at up to $587.4 million for the same program phase, according to NAVAIR. Those figures relate to earlier awards and should not automatically be added to the October 2026 modification as though they constitute a single, fully reconciled program-cost total.
Why the low-band capability matters
The NGJ-LB is designed to address a specific challenge in modern air warfare: the use of lower-frequency radar systems to detect, track or support the engagement of aircraft operating near defended airspace.
The Navy’s EA-18G Growler performs airborne electronic attack, using electronic warfare equipment to interfere with adversary radar and communications. Such operations can support strike aircraft by complicating an air defense network’s ability to detect, track and coordinate engagements against incoming forces.
The NGJ-LB is intended to extend this mission into lower-frequency portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It forms part of a broader Next Generation Jammer family designed to augment and eventually replace the legacy AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System on the Growler.
Lower-frequency radar is relevant to counter-stealth operations because some radar configurations can detect aircraft with reduced radar signatures under particular conditions. However, detection does not necessarily mean a radar can maintain a sufficiently precise track to support a weapon engagement. Performance depends on the radar’s design, operating environment, signal processing and the characteristics of the target.
Electronic attack can complicate that process, but jamming effectiveness is not universal. It depends on factors including frequency coverage, signal processing, antenna performance, the adversary’s countermeasures and the geometry of an engagement. Public information does not establish how effectively NGJ-LB will perform against specific operational radar systems.
How NGJ-LB fits into the Navy’s jammer family
The Navy is developing the Next Generation Jammer in separate increments to address different frequency bands. The low-band program complements the mid-band system, which has progressed further through acquisition.
The separate increments address different parts of the electronic warfare mission rather than serving as direct substitutes for one another. Their combined value will depend on how effectively the Navy integrates them with the aircraft, mission planning systems and other elements of its air operations.
Development and testing remain central
The program has a lengthy acquisition history. NAVAIR records show that the Navy began evaluating existing technologies for NGJ-LB in 2018, followed by the engineering and manufacturing development award in December 2020. The subsequent procurement process included protests and a revised request for proposals in 2023 before the Navy’s August 2024 contract award.
A 2025 Government Accountability Office assessment listed major future milestones for NGJ-LB, including the critical design review, low-rate production decision, operational testing and initial capability, as undetermined in the assessment’s published timeline. That historical assessment does not establish the program’s current milestone status, but it illustrates why a large development award should not be treated as proof of imminent operational fielding.
The latest modification includes system demonstration test article pods and additional software, cybersecurity and testing work. These activities are important because an airborne electronic warfare pod must function within the aircraft’s electrical, aerodynamic, software and mission-system constraints. Its performance also has to be evaluated under representative operating conditions.
Cybersecurity work is particularly relevant to a software-intensive electronic warfare system. Protecting system software and interfaces helps preserve the integrity of mission functions and supports secure updates as threats and operational requirements change. L3Harris has not publicly disclosed the specific cybersecurity vulnerabilities or development tasks covered by this award.
The company says testing will continue in support of the Navy’s delivery schedule. However, the October 19 announcement does not provide a new date for initial operational capability, a revised production schedule or a confirmed fleet deployment date.
What the award means for the U.S. and Australian fleets
The United States and Australia have a shared interest in the program. NAVAIR identified NGJ-LB as a cooperative effort involving the U.S. Department of Defense and Australia’s Department of Defence, with the system intended to support both the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.
For both services, the operational objective is to improve airborne electronic attack against increasingly capable radar and communications networks. The capability could support strike operations by making it harder for adversaries to maintain an effective air defense picture, although the actual effect will depend on demonstrated system performance and the threats encountered.
The industrial implications are more immediate than any unverified claim about combat effectiveness. The award funds further engineering, demonstration equipment, testing and technical support at a stage when the program still has development work to complete.
The next meaningful indicators will be evidence of successful system testing, progress through the Navy’s acquisition milestones and an official schedule for operational introduction. Until those details become available, the $876.4 million modification is best understood as a substantial investment in continued development, not confirmation that the Growler’s low-band jamming capability is already operational.
