How the US Navy intends to defeat the Chinese and Russian air defenses
The command of the US Navy conducted a very important evaluation of the project to create a new generation of jammer, writes National Interest. The AN/ALQ-249 electronic jamming station manufactured by Raytheon will become the most important element of the US Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft in countering modern Russian and Chinese-made S-400 and HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile systems.
Dave Majumdar
The Aviation Technical Command of the US Navy conducted a very important evaluation of the project to create a new generation of jammer.
The AN/ALQ-249 electronic jamming station created by Raytheon will become the most important element of the US Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft in countering modern Russian and Chinese-made S-400 and HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile systems. The ALQ-99 jammers in service are not very effective against these advanced air defense systems, since they are already 40 years old.
"The Department of On-Board Active Electronic Jamming Systems and the EA-6B Program Management Department conducted a very important evaluation of the project to create a new generation AN/ALQ-249 jammer at the Patuxent River Naval Air Base, Maryland," the Navy Aviation Technical Command said in a statement. "During the evaluation, the experts came to the conclusion that the design and development are going according to plan with the fulfillment of all the requirements for combat aviation, and in this regard, it is possible to proceed to manufacturing, demonstration and testing."
Since the expert evaluation has been completed, those responsible for installing and interfacing the new system on the Growler aircraft of Raytheon and Boeing will now proceed to the final stage of design and manufacture. "Now we are at the stage of constructive refinement and production of a prototype. This is being done by Raytheon Space and Air Systems, which is the main contractor, and Boeing, which is working on integrating the system into the EA-18G Growler aircraft," the Navy Aviation Technical Command said in a statement. — After the adoption of the AN/ALQ-249 station into service in the Navy, the methods of conducting electronic warfare will completely change."
The new jammer, which uses phased array antennas based on gallium nitride, is much more advanced and efficient than the existing ALQ-99 systems. With electronic scanning capability and innovative jamming capabilities, this open architecture system will be a significant addition to the Growler aircraft arsenal.
The jammer is especially effective in combination with modern data transmission equipment, such as the Tactical Targeting Network Data Exchange System (TTNT), which transmits information many times faster than Link-16. "This system will cope with new, most modern threats in conditions of increasing density of such threats thanks to the latest active phased array antenna (AESA), as well as digital and software technologies," the command said in a statement.
The Navy has already begun work on subsequent versions of the system, which will work in the low and high frequency range. The second version of the system, which may be adopted in the late 2020s, will interfere with low-frequency long-range detection radars that are capable of detecting stealth aircraft. The third option will be designed to counteract high-frequency fire control radars. Together, three versions of electronic countermeasures stations will make up a complex system very similar to today's ALQ-99, but these stations will be much more efficient.
The program for creating a new generation of jammer is a priority for the fleet, as there are more and more modern S-400 and HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile systems in the world. He is eagerly expected in the troops.
