The U.S. Navy just awarded a $1 billion contract to Raytheon to create the Next Generation Jammer to be integrated into its EA-18G Growlers.

As technological advancements continue growing at exponential rates, the ability of the U.S. military to maintain dominance in the arena of electronic warfare has never been more important.

The contract for the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to staying ahead of our adversaries in technologic war-fighting capabilities. The Growlers, which are known to carry an incredible suite of capabilities already, are said to receive the state-of-the-art electronic attack pod by 2021.

Now you see me. Now you don’t! Now you see what?

Jammers play an increasingly vital role in a wide range of military engagements. They are the key tools used to hide or mask friendly planes, ships, ground vehicles, and troops so they can all execute their missions undetected by the enemy.

More than just hiding our forces from the enemy, jammers can also be used to create false contacts, like ghosts, to fool the enemy forces into thinking something is there when it isn’t.

More information about the NGJ and the Growler can be found at FoxNews.

Check out these classic Growler videos while we wait for the new pods in five years.