Raytheon Reaches Major Testing Milestone on First SPY-6 Radar Array

ANDOVER, Mass. — Raytheon’s Missiles & Defense unit has finished near-field range testing of the first AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar array, signaling its readiness to be packed and shipped for installation on a future U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Jack H. Lucas, the company said in a release. 

The 14-foot by 14-foot modular array will deliver integrated air and missile defense and air-defense capabilities to Flight III guided missile destroyers and a total of seven types of Navy ships. 

“The goal of near-field range testing is to increase integration speed, drive out risk and ensure SPY-6 is primed for installation,” said Scott Spence, senior director of Naval Radar Systems. “When SPY-6 radar arrays leave our radar development facility, they are ready to defend the surface fleet.” 

Before leaving the development facility, all SPY-6 arrays undergo extensive testing that includes: 

• Operational health evaluation of more than 5,000 transmit and receive radiating elements. 
• Alignment and calibration of nearly 150 subarray channels and 5,000 radar elements. 
• Collection and validation of over 42,000 “golden database” parameters that allows automatic recalibration of the array during at-sea maintenance. 
• Collection, analysis and verification of over 300 transmit and receive array beam patterns. 

Raytheon Missiles & Defense has invested more than $500 million in infrastructure and capacity enhancements, including advanced automation technology, for SPY-6 since the program’s inception. Additional construction on expanded production areas dedicated to transmit/receive integrated microwave modules and radio frequency heads — key radar components — will be completed this year.