Installation of the U.S. Navy’s AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar has begun on the service’s new Aegis Flight III guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). The four arrays that comprise the highly advanced radar system, built by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, are being installed on the ship at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.
“As the future USS Jack Lucas takes shape, we are at the cusp of a new era for detection and discrimination of threats and decision-making at sea,” said Capt. Jason Hall, program manager for Above-Water Sensors for the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems. “SPY-6 will fill critical mission gaps and enable precision operations in jammed and cluttered environments like never before.”
The SPY-6(V) family of radars is ground-breaking technology that will enable the Navy to see farther, react quicker and greatly enhance their defense against threats. The system delivers significantly greater range, increased accuracy, greater resistance to environmental and man-made electronic clutter, advanced electronic protection and higher reliability than currently deployed radars.
“SPY-6 provides the Navy with unprecedented operational flexibility and readiness against a multitude of threats, and this milestone is a transformative step forward to placing unmatched technology into sailors’ hands,” said Kim Ernzen, Naval Power vice president at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “From COVID-19 to hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, our partners cleared numerous hurdles to complete deliveries and keep this important part of the ship-build on schedule.”
The future USS Jack H. Lucas is the first Flight III DDG to receive SPY-6(V)1 and is on track to deliver in FY23.
