At the height of the Kosovo Campaign, the US Navy quietly asked Boeing to come up with a quick plan to mount the EA-6B's jammers and other systems on an F-18F airframe (to then become the F-18G airborne jammer). Boeing has responded with a plan to put F-18Gs on carrier decks by 2006, using the Update-3 electronics being developed for the EA-6B. (Update 3 will be available in 2004.) The resulting F-18G might not be able to fully replace the EA-6B, but could supplement the few survivors of the overworked jammer fleet.--Stephen V Cole

The US Navy's AN/SLY-2 Advanced Integrated Electronic Warfare System is behind schedule and over budget, and the civilian leaders in the Navy Dept. are threatening to cancel it as a warning to other programs that they must meet performance, schedule, and cost goals. The Navy wants to fit the system on 140 warships to allow them to operate close to defended enemy coastlines.--Stephen V Cole

The US Navy is prepared to invest millions in the AN/SPY-2 (Aegis-2) radar system. While SPY-1 Aegis uses Band-S, SPY-2 Aegis will use Band-S/C and should be able to track supersonic cruise missiles more effectively.--Stephen V Cole