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L3Harris received an $876 million contract modification to advance the U.S. Navy’s Next-Generation Jammer – Low Band system to the next Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase.

L3Harris Technologies has received an undefinitized contract modification award for the next Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Next-Generation Jammer – Low Band (NGJ-LB) program. In an Oct. 19, 2026 release, the company said the $876 million award “supports an accelerated timeline for NGJ-LB, aligning with the Department of War’s priority of delivering expedited capability to the warfighter.”

The Low Band pod is the second increment of the NGJ program, which envisions three different pods to replace the capabilities of the older AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS) pods. The first increment is the Mid Band pod, while the third is the High Band.

U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) E/A-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft have already been flying with the AN/ALQ-249 NGJ-MB (Mid Band) pods, which achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in December 2024. As for the NGJ-HB (High-Band), it remains a future capability.

The company said the NGJ-LB will enhance the “Navy’s ability to disrupt and degrade enemy radar and communications by integrating sophisticated jamming capabilities with faster processing.” L3Harris’ “modular, open-system architecture” will also ease maintenance, while aiding “seamless upgrades.”

“NGJ-LB will operate with joint and allied forces, which will allow growth capacity for future technology integration,” the company added in the release. 

We’ve received an $876 million award from the @USNavy for the next engineering and manufacturing phase of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band program (NGJ-LB): https://t.co/CstXTrKxWA https://t.co/df6scXIsIR

— L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) October 20, 2026

The contract

The release by the company also included an illustration showing an E/A-18G Growler carrying on the centerline the NGJ-LB pod, whose design reflects the one seen in the images previously released of the pod during testing in the anechoic chamber. Two ALQ-99 TJS pods, identifiable by their nose-mounted Ram Air Turbines, are carried under the wings.

L3Harris said the contract for the next EMD phase, which follows the one approved in 2020, also covers non-recurring tooling and equipment, associated labor, delivery of system demonstration test article pods, additional cybersecurity and system security development, and product, logistics, test and evaluation, and software support for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Testing will follow with a schedule established by the Navy.

The company said the latest award builds on its support for the Navy’s airborne electronic attack (AEA) mission, including the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, “which continues to play an important role in fleet operations.” L3Harris further added that, “together, these programs demonstrate a commitment to sustaining today’s mission while advancing the next generation of capability.”

Our Next Generation Jammer – Low Band system addresses critical electronic warfare threats, providing the @USNavy with enhanced power, precision and the ability to target multiple threats simultaneously, ensuring the highest level of defense readiness. Learn more: https://t.co/pJ6TK5kHX5

— L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) September 25, 2025

“This program enhances the ability to counter adversaries operating in lower-frequency bands,” said Chris Aebli, President, Communications & Spectrum Dominance, L3Harris. “We’re moving fast to deliver a system that equips aviators to counter those threats from safer, extended distances.”

The release also quoted Senators John Curtis and Mike Lee and Representative Celeste Maloy (all R-Utah), who highlighted the contract’s economic significance to the state and its role in supporting the U.S. defense industrial base. L3Harris has a major facility in Salt Lake City.

“This investment reflects the important role Utah plays in strengthening U.S. national defenses,” Curtis said. “L3Harris and its talented workforce are developing cutting-edge capabilities that will help our Navy stay ahead of evolving threats and keep our service members safe. I’m proud to see this critical work happening right here in Utah and supporting our national security for years to come.”

The Next Generation Jammer – Low Band is engineered for superior interoperability, and stands out with its reliability and adaptability, ensuring seamless integration and enhanced capabilities.

Learn how: https://t.co/eqIzgKT9cd

#WEST26 https://t.co/bxG618KVDZ

— L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) February 8, 2026

Lee said the NGJ-LB program in Salt Lake City represents the “new frontiers in national defense being forged in our own backyard.” Maloy, meanwhile, highlighted “Utahns’ support [for] national defense [by giving] our Navy the tools it needs to stay ahead of emerging threats.”

The Next-Generation Jammer program

The Low Band pod is the second increment of the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program, meant to replace the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS). The latter is still being carried by some E/A-18G Growlers, while deliveries of the new system continue.

An EA-18G Growler, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Oct. 1, 2026. [Note: one ALQ-249 pod can be seen under the starboard wing and one ALQ-99 under the port-side wing] | Source: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Angel CampbellAccording to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), the NGJ program “is an evolutionary acquisition program” providing the new capability in three increments. These include the Mid-Band (MB) pod or Capability Block/Increment 1, Low Band (LB) or Block/Increment 2, and High Band (HB) or Block/Increment 3.

“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,” says NAVAIR. “It brings increased power and jamming capability at longer ranges.” 

The family of podded systems operates in a broad range of wavebands, with each pod covering a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The LB pod operates in the 100 MHz to 2 GHz range, the MB pod in the 2 GHz to 6 GHz bands, while the HB is planned to cover frequencies in the 6 GHz to 18 GHz range. 

A U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler, assigned to the “Yellow Jackets” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 138, conducts a sortie in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 3, 2026. Note the AN/ALQ-249(V)1 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) pod on its mid-board port wing station.

(/U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Adriana Jordan-Alcaniz)

— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) August 10, 2026