Radar System Deftly Tracks Ballistic and Cruise Missiles

The U.S. Navy’s new Air and Missile Defense Radar system, known as AN/SPY-6(V), successfully acquired and tracked short-range ballistic missile and antiship cruise missile targets at the same time during a recent test at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. Tewksbury, Massachusetts-based Raytheon Company helped develop the technology for the Navy. 

"This radar was specifically designed to handle ballistic missiles and cruise missiles simultaneously and it's doing just that," said Capt Seiko Okano, USN, major program manager for Above Water Sensors, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems. "The Air and Missile Defense Radar system is successfully demonstrating performance in a series of increasingly difficult test events and is on track to deliver advanced capability to the Navy's first Flight III Destroyer."

The speed, range, trajectory and complexity of multiple targets proved no match for AN/SPY-6, according to Raytheon. The radar searched for, detected and tracked all of the missiles from launch throughout the flights, demonstrating the radar's sensitivity and multi-mission capabilities. “It acquired and tracked them all," added Raytheon's Tad Dickenson, AN/SPY-6(V) program director. "[The system] has the capability to extend the battlespace and safeguard the fleet from multiple threats."

This was the third successful test of the system designed to integrated air and missile defense performance; the Navy conducted the second test last July. "Successes for AN/SPY-6 continue to stack up," Raytheon stated. "The radar has now demonstrated its performance against an array of singular and simultaneous live targets of increasing complexity, including integrated air and missile defense targets of opportunity, satellites and aircraft."