03 April 2023
by Michael Fabey
The recent navy contract provides for the first SPY-6(V)4 versions to be backfit on DDG 51 Flight IIA destroyers. (Raytheon)
The USD619 million contract awarded to Raytheon on 29 March to buy SPY-6 radar sets for the US Navy (USN) also provides for the first SPY-6(V)4 versions to be backfit on DDG 51 Flight IIAs, according to Mike Mills, senior director of naval radars, Raytheon.
“This starts getting your 24 RMA [radar modular assembly] configuration for BMD [ballistic missile defence] AMDR [air- and missile-defence radar],” Mills told
Janes
during a 27 March interview in advance of the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2023 Global Maritime Exposition held in National Harbor, Maryland, which started on 3 April.
Each RMA is a self-contained radar antenna in a 2×2×2 inch (5×5×5 cm) box, according to Raytheon. The RMAs stack together – are scaled – to fit the mission requirements of any ship.
“The Flight IIA hull can’t handle the 37 RMA [radar],” Mills said. “The deconfiguration down to 24 RMA allows to easily install to flight IIA, it’s scalable.”
The navy is looking to install the first backfit in 2026.
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