The US Navy, in partnership with defense company Raytheon, has completed its first live test of the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar in a maritime environment.
The milestone was achieved during recent testing at the Advanced Radar Detection Laboratory located at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii.
During multiple tests over open water, the radar successfully tracked air and surface targets under various conditions.
According to Raytheon, these tests demonstrated the radar’s advanced tracking capabilities across different mission scenarios and validated years of modeling and simulation work. Additionally, the tests yielded the first live data set for the (V)4 configuration, which will help refine the system for future testing and eventual shipboard deployment.
“The successful live demonstration of the SPY-6(V)4 radar is a major step forward in advancing the capabilities of today’s fleet and supporting allied operations worldwide,” said Barbara Borgonovi , president of Naval Power at Raytheon.
“The radar will allow existing U.S. Navy Flight IIA Destroyers to significantly upgrade their detection and tracking capabilities, allowing sailors to more effectively monitor and respond to potential threats in real-time.”
This is the next variant in the US Navy’s SPY-6 family of radars to undergo live maritime testing. Raytheon said that the program will continue with testing and system enhancements, leveraging common hardware and software across other variants to ensure integration and scalability.
SPY-6 is now installed on two new US Navy ships, with three additional ships slated for installation and undergoing various stages of testing in 2025.
Over the next decade, SPY-6 is expected to be deployed on more than 60 US Navy ships to enhance defense against air, surface, and ballistic threats.