SPY-6 is the U.S. Navy family of radars that performs air and missile defense on seven classes of ships and is a giant leap in capability for the fleet.
The SPY-6 family is integrated, meaning it can defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hostile aircraft and surface ships simultaneously. And it offers many advantages over legacy radars, such as greater detection range, increased sensitivity and more accurate discrimination.
Delivering unmatched, scalable air and missile defense to the fleet
The radar optimizes the effectiveness of the Navy’s most advanced weapons, including all SM-3 interceptor and SM-6 missile variants. Precise targeting information and data on incoming threats allows weapons to maximize their performance.
Each variant uses the same hardware and software, and their construction is modular, making SPY-6 more reliable and less expensive to maintain.
It’s built with individual ‘building blocks’ called radar modular assemblies. Each RMA is a self-contained radar antenna in a 2’x2’x2’ box. The RMAs stack together to fit the mission requirements of any ship – a feature that makes SPY-6 the Navy’s first truly scalable radar.
SPY-6 arrays are being delivered and integrated onto the Navy’s newest ships, including its first Flight III guided missile destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), and the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).
A closer look at the SPY-6 variants
Designed for the DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, SPY-6(V)1 features:
- 4 array faces – each with 37 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness
- Significantly enhanced range and sensitivity compared to the radar it replaces
SPY-6(V)1 simultaneously defends against:
- Ballistic missiles
- Cruise missiles
- Anti-surface and anti-air threats
- Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare
Designed for amphibious assault ships and Nimitz-class carriers, SPY-6(V)2 – also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (rotator variant) – features:
- 1 rotating array face – with 9 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness
- Air traffic control and ship self-defense capabilities
SPY-6(V)2 simultaneously defends against:
- Cruise missiles
- Anti-surface and anti-ship threats
- Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare
Designed for Ford-class aircraft carriers and FFG(X) guided missile frigates, SPY-6(V)3 – also known as the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (fixed variant) – features:
- 3 fixed-face array faces – each with 9 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness
- Air traffic control and ship self-defense capabilities
SPY-6(V)3 simultaneously defends against:
- Cruise missiles
- Anti-surface and anti-ship threats
- Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare
Designed for DDG 51 Flight IIA destroyers, SPY-6(V)4 features:
- 4 array faces – each with 24 RMAs – providing continuous, 360-degree situational awareness
- Significantly enhanced range and sensitivity compared to the radar it replaces
SPY-6(V)4 simultaneously defends against:
- Ballistic missiles
- Cruise missiles
- Anti-surface and anti-air threats
- Jamming/clutter and electronic warfare
