U.S. Navy orders full production of new Growler jamming unit

The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems an IDIQ contract worth up to $184.25 million for full-rate production and support of the EA-18G Growler's Next Generation Electronic Attack Unit. Just over $40 million was obligated at award, while work at Bloomington, Minnesota, is scheduled through September 2032. NGEAU upgrades processing hardware installed inside the aircraft, working with the ALQ-218 enhancement to detect and respond autonomously to unfamiliar radio-frequency signals in congested environments. It is distinct from the externally mounted Next Generation Jammer pods being developed to replace the Growler's older ALQ-99 systems.