US Navy Targets 2028 for SPY-6 Radar
The US Navy and Raytheon are studying options to install the AN/SPY-6(V)3 radar on its three Zumwalt-class destroyers by 2028, years ahead of the original
Raytheon has started working with the US Navy to explore accelerating the installation of the AN/SPY-6(V)3 S-band radar on the service's three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers. Jen Gauthier, Raytheon's vice president of Naval Systems & Sustainment, confirmed the study, which aims to replace the current AN/SPY-3 X-band radar later this decade.
This effort is a core component of the Zumwalt Enterprise Upgrade Solution (ZEUS), a program initiated by the US Naval Sea Systems Command in 2022. The ZEUS plan seeks to improve the long-term supportability and interoperability of the unique Zumwalt-class ships by replacing their bespoke combat systems with equipment common to other US Navy surface combatants.
Accelerated Retrofit Timeline
According to Gauthier, the AN/SPY-6(V)3 radar retrofit was originally planned for the mid-2030s. She told Naval News that discussions are now focused on a much faster timeline. "But given the availability of hardware, the need for this system, and the fact that it is performing so well at sea today...we've been in discussions with the navy about potentially accelerating ZEUS to as early as a 2028 first installation on the first Zumwalt," Gauthier said.
A potential catalyst for the acceleration is the availability of hardware. Naval News previously reported that AN/SPY-6(V)3 radars originally built for the cancelled FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate program could be repurposed for the Zumwalt backfit.
SPY-6 Radar Variants and Specifications
The AN/SPY-6(V)3 is a member of the wider AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar family. It features three fixed array faces, each populated by nine Radar Modular Assemblies. An RMA is a self-contained radar antenna packaged in a 2 x 2 x 2 foot box.
Concurrently, the US Navy is already working on retrofitting a different variant, the AN/SPY-6(V)4, onto its DDG-51 Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. This effort is part of the DDG MOD 2.0 upgrade program, which replaces the older Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D radar.
| Radar Variant | Platform | Array Faces | RMAs per Face | Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AN/SPY-6(V)3 | DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class | 3 | 9 | ZEUS |
| AN/SPY-6(V)4 | DDG-51 Flight IIA | 4 | 24 | DDG MOD 2.0 |
Current SPY-6(V)4 Installation Progress
Raytheon recently delivered and installed the first AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar array at the Surface Combat Systems Center in Wallops Island, Virginia. This facility will support testing of the radar and its interfaces with power and combat systems before the first shipboard installation.
The DDG 51 Flight IIA destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) is slated to be the first vessel to receive the AN/SPY-6(V)4. According to the source, the Pinckney is scheduled to be available for the backfit from late 2026 through 2028.
