March 29, 2026, 6:02 pm
A photograph released by U.S. Central Command depicted an EA-18G Growler launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln with an atypical configuration. The aircraft carried an AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System pod on its left wing and an AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer–Mid Band (NGJ-MB) pod on its right—pairing legacy and next-generation systems on a single platform. This mixed load-out is not standard practice, and no official explanation has been provided for its use in this instance.
The Growler serves as the U.S. Navy’s dedicated electronic warfare platform, tasked with suppressing enemy air defenses and degrading radar systems to protect strike packages operating in contested environments. Aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln have been actively engaged throughout Operation Epic Fury, operating in tandem with the carrier’s full air wing.
It is noteworthy here that Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, was awarded a $590 million follow-on contract on December 6, 2024, for continued production of the NGJ-MB pod. The program’s Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract was originally awarded in 2016, with the first test article delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2019 and initial production units entering service in July 2023.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how the new NGJ-MB Pod in EA-18G Growler is playing a crucial role in Iran ?
#defenseupdates #ea18g #usiran
Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:59 SPONSORSHIP – NordVPN
02:33 NGJ-MB Pod OVERVIEW
04:27 CAPABLITIY
06:35 ANALYSIS
Sponsorship:
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