Raytheon has delivered and installed the first SPY-6(V)4 radar array at the Surface Combat Systems Centre at Wallops Island, Virginia, marking a milestone in the US Navy's Flight IIA destroyer modernisation and SPY-6 backfit programme.
The land-based facility will test the radar alongside its power and combat system interfaces before installation aboard USS Pinckney, the first vessel scheduled to receive the system.
Testing at Wallops Island is expected to begin later this year and continue through mid-2028, while USS Pinckney is scheduled to undergo the backfit between late 2026 and 2028.
The SPY-6(V)4 is one of four variants in the SPY-6 radar family and is the only version designed specifically for retrofitting Flight IIA destroyers.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said the Wallops Island test site allows the company to integrate the SPY-6(V)4 with its dedicated power system before installation aboard the ship, reducing the amount of testing required during the vessel's availability period.
The testing programme is being conducted jointly by the US Navy, the NASA Wallops team, and industry partners. Two SPY-6 radar variants are already deployed on commissioned US Navy vessels, while systems for 11 additional ships are currently undergoing testing ahead of commissioning.
Raytheon stated that the SPY-6 radar family is expected to be deployed on more than 50 US Navy vessels over the next decade to provide air, surface, ballistic missile, and electronic warfare defence capabilities. The company has invested $800 million in modernising its radar manufacturing facilities and expects to double SPY-6 production by 2028.