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| Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) EA-18G Growler |
By: Nigel Pittaway
AVALON, Australia — Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne announced Tuesday that Australia has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy to develop the Next Generation Jammer for the Boeing EA-18G Growler, an airborne electronic attack aircraft.
Payne announced the AUD $250 million (U.S. $192 million) investment during the opening day of the 2017 Australian International Airshow at Avalon, south of Melbourne.
“This is a $250 million investment by the Turnbull government that will [serve as] future proof [of[ the Growler’s capability,” she said. “As this is a rapidly evolving area, we will work in partnership with the United States Navy to develop the next-generation jamming capability, which will ensure that these aircraft remain at the technological forefront throughout their service life.”
The Next Generation Jammer will form a key component of Project Air 5439 Phase 6, a future phase of Australia’s Growler acquisition program, which will upgrade the EA-18G to what is known as the Advanced Growler configuration. The program will ensure commonality with U.S. Navy aircraft is maintained into the future and will develop a replacement for the Growler’s current ALQ-99 jamming pods.
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