ITT Exelis [XLS] and Boeing [BA] will assume separate roles for the next development phase of the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) program after successfully completing the current technology maturation phase, according to an ITT Exelis company statement.
Boeing will concentrate its efforts on the integration of the jammer on the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft while Exelis will continue to focus on developing technologies critical to the NGJ program, according to a statement. An ITT Exelis spokesman recently declined to comment.
“Exelis will continue to expand on the technical accomplishments made during technology maturation and we are committed to ensuring the NGJ program has unmatched capability to support this critical mission,” said Robert Ferrante, vice president and general manager of Exelis’ electronic systems’ airborne electronic attack business, in a statement.
An April Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that Defense Department progress in acquiring new airborne electronic attack systems is impeded by developmental and production challenges and certain systems may have overlapping capabilities because of DoD’s “fragmented” urgent operational needs processes.
The first of the NGJs are expected to be installed on the Growler, which, according to a Boeing spokesman, is the only platform currently scheduled for NGJ.
Including Exelis and Boeing, other companies competing in the NGJ program include Northrop Grumman [NOC] and BAE Systems.