The U.S. Navy has awarded a five-year, firm-fixed-price contract to Teledyne Defense Electronics for the repair of traveling-wave tubes (TWTs) associated with the ALQ-99 jammer system. The contract, which is valued at $23,619,080, covers work to be completed by August 2025 with no options. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (Philadelphia, PA) is the contracting agency and repair work will be performed at the Teledyne Microwave Electronic Technologies (MEC) facility (Rancho Cordova, CA).
The ALQ-99 jammer system supports F/A-18G aircraft with TWTs providing amplification of pulsed and continuous-wave (CW) microwave-frequency signals within the system. TWTs are also used for microwave signal amplification in a wide range of defense electronic systems, including electronic warfare (EW), radar, communications, and missile tracking systems.
The ALQ-99 jammer system is used on a range of naval aircraft such as EA-18G Growlers, to disrupt an adversary’s radars, communications, and other electronic systems. The modular jammer system employs TWTs for microwave amplification for required pulse widths and pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs). An EA-18G Growler can carry as many as five tactical jammer transmitters and antennas in its jamming pods, two under each wing and one under the fuselage, with frequencies and power levels tailored to mission requirements.