RTX's Raytheon has completed the delivery and installation of the first SPY-6(V)4 radar array at the US Navy's Surface Combat Systems Center in Wallops Island, Virginia, marking a key milestone in the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer modernization program and the SPY-6 backfit effort.
The land-based test facility at Wallops Island will be used to evaluate the SPY-6(V)4 radar, its dedicated power system, and combat system interfaces before the radar is installed aboard USS Pinckney (DDG 91), the first Flight IIA destroyer selected to receive the SPY-6(V)4 upgrade.
Initial testing is scheduled to begin later this year and continue through mid-2028. According to Raytheon, conducting integration and system testing at the Wallops facility before shipboard installation is expected to reduce the amount of testing required once the radar is installed on the destroyer, shortening its time in the shipyard.
USS Pinckney is currently scheduled to undergo the SPY-6(V)4 backfit between late 2026 and 2028. The Wallops test campaign is intended to support the transition from land-based testing to operational use at sea while helping the Navy maintain the program schedule.
The effort is being carried out through collaboration between the US Navy, NASA's Wallops team, and industry partners.
SPY-6(V)4 is one of four variants in the SPY-6 radar family and is the only version specifically designed to replace legacy radars aboard Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The radar is intended to enhance the ships' ability to detect and track air, surface, ballistic missile, and electronic warfare threats.
Raytheon said other SPY-6 variants are already in service aboard two commissioned US Navy warships, while an additional 11 ships have received the radar and are undergoing testing ahead of commissioning. The company expects the SPY-6 family to be deployed on more than 50 US Navy vessels over the next decade.
To support increasing production, Raytheon has invested approximately $800 million in modernizing its radar manufacturing facilities and plans to double SPY-6 production capacity by 2028, aiming to improve long-term availability and reduce costs for the US Navy.