Lockheed Martin achieves first live track with SPY-7 radar for Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessel ASEV
On April 4, 2024, Lockheed Martin reported from its Production Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, the first live track demonstration of the AN/SPY-7(V)1
[ GaN AESA S Band] radar on an Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV). The demonstration
showcased the SPY-7 radar's capability to track space objects, using its
tactical hardware and software, which serves as an initial step towards
assessing its operational readiness and begins a detailed performance
evaluation phase.
The Japan Ministry of Defense intends to incorporate the SPY-7 radar system into two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEVs), with the goal of improving the country's defensive capabilities against a range of threats. Chandra Marshall, Vice President of Radar and Sensor Systems at Lockheed Martin, stated that the SPY-7 radar utilizes developments from the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) program to enhance its detection and tracking abilities. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the LRDR, identified as AN/SPY-7, is crucial to the United States' Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, tasked with the early detection and assessment of ballistic missile threats.
This radar system employs gallium nitride (GaN) within its solid-state active electronically scanned array (AESA) to facilitate uninterrupted operation, including during maintenance periods. The system's modular design allows for adjustments in size and capabilities according to specific needs. The LRDR's technology has also been adapted for the AN/SPY-7(V)1 variant, which is used in the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and selected by countries including Canada for the primary radar system on its forthcoming Canadian Surface Combatant ships and Japan for its Aegis Ashore installations and its Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs).
The Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), planned by the Japan
Maritime Self-Defense Force, represent an adaptation in naval defense,
with a focus on missile defense capabilities aimed to substitute the
Aegis Ashore system. These ships are a response to evolving missile
threats, catalyzed by missile tests from North Korea. With a
construction timeline beginning in 2024 and service commencement
anticipated in 2027, these vessels are intended to offer a movable
platform for missile defense. Featuring the Aegis Weapon System (AWS)
and equipped for joint engagement capabilities, the ships are designed
with a standard displacement of 12,000 tons, a length of 190 meters, and
a width of 25 meters. Their propulsion is managed through a COGLAG
engine system, combining gas turbines and electric motors to achieve
speeds of approximately 30 knots, and they are expected to house around
240 crew members. The armament comprises a 5-inch gun, high-performance
cannons, Mk.41 Vertical Launching Systems (VLS) with 128 cells, and an
array of missiles intended for a broad spectrum of air and missile
defense tasks.
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| LRDR Site Model. “LRDR Program Overview,” March 8, 2017. Online at: https://ptacalaska.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lockheed-Martin-LRDR-Project-Update-Richard-Hagy.pdf. |
LRDR and SPY-7 Radars
The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in Alaska is part of the United States's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense anti-ballistic missile system. The main contractor is Lockheed Martin, under a US$784 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency in October 2015.[1]
LRDR is a gallium nitride (GaN)-based, solid-state active electronically scanned array (AESA) early-warning radar[1] that allows for continuous coverage, even when it is undergoing maintenance.[2] The radar consists of individual solid state radar blocks that can be combined to scale up the size of the radar. The multi-purpose GaN device used on the prototype version of the LRDR is from the Japanese electronics company Fujitsu, according to Lockheed Martin.[3]
AN/SPY-7(V)1[edit]
The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is the official designation of an LRDR-derivative used with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. On 30 July 2018, the Japanese government approved a plan to purchase two pairs of AN/SPY-7(V)1 for the Aegis Ashore facility and will be installed in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Akita Prefecture. The first operation is expected to start from 2025, by Japan Ground Self Defense Force.[8]
Missile Defense Agency has also decided to use AN/SPY-7(V)1 for the Aegis Ashore to be installed in Hawaii. Derivatives of the AN/SPY-7(V)1 will be used on the Canadian Surface Combatant and the Spanish F-110 frigate.[9]
In September 2020, AN/SPY-7(V)1 was chosen by Canada as the primary radar for its future Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) along with CMS-330 Combat Management System with Aegis Combat System.[10]
Lockheed Martin promoted this version of radar as the AN/SPY-1 refurbishment program to the US Navy to extend the lifespan of the Ticonderoga-class cruiser and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to beyond the 2040s.[11] In December 2021, the AN/SPY-6 AESA radar from Raytheon was selected to retrofit Flight IIA Arleigh Burke destroyers; the same radar is used on Flight III ships.[12][13]
MOORESTOWN, N.J. — The radar technology formerly known as Lockheed Martin’s Solid State Radar (LM SSR) has been designated as AN/SPY-7(V)1 by the U.S government.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense selected AN/SPY-7(V)1 for two planned Aegis Ashore installations in 2018. Additionally, variants of AN/SPY-7(V)1 will be used by the Royal Canadian Navy for the Canadian Surface Combatant program and the Spanish Navy for the upcoming F-110 frigate program.
“Lockheed Martin’s solid-state solution meets the mission now and is flexible to adapt to the evolving threats of the future,” said Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin. “This new designation solidifies our ability to provide the most technically advanced capabilities our warfighters require.”
AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a modular and scalable solid-state radar, allowing for continuous surveillance and protection. It will be fully integrated with the Aegis Combat System, providing advanced technology for future ship classes.
Japan’s Got Leftover High-Tech Radars—Why Not Stick Them On A Frigate?
The Japanese navy destroyer 'Kongo' launches an SM-3 missile.
Japanese navyUnder pressure from activists and government accountants, the Japanese defense ministry has canceled plans for land-based Aegis missile-defense systems.
But there’s a problem. Tokyo already has paid American defense firm Lockheed Martin LMT -0.5% hundreds of millions of dollars to build the systems’ high-tech radars. And the military still wants missile-defense systems in order to protect against North Korean and Chinese rockets.
The ministry has a plan. It could take the same SPY-7 radars and stick them on new frigates. It’s not an unprecedented idea. Canada and Spain also are building frigates with SPY-7 radars.
Japan for years had been planning to install two Aegis Ashore systems at bases on country’s west coast—one in Akita in the north, another in Hagi in the south. An Aegis Ashore system basically takes the guts of a U.S. Navy destroyer—the radar, computers, vertical launchers and SM-3 missiles—and crams them into buildings.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency already has set up one Aegis Ashore in Romania and is building another in Poland. Aegis Ashore in theory can knock down incoming ballistic missiles while they’re still hundreds of miles away.
But the system is expensive. A single Aegis Ashore was supposed to cost a billion dollars. But the cost quickly doubled, alarming Tokyo’s bean-counters. Equally troubling for Japanese authorities, the SM-3 missile includes a rocket booster that falls away from the missile shortly after launch.
A notional SPY-7 frigate is on the left in this Japanese defense ministry proposal.
Japanese defense ministryCommunities around the planned Japanese Aegis Ashore sites objected to spent rocket boosters raining down on their homes. With protests intensifying, Japanese defense chief Taro Kono canceled Aegis Ashore in June.
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| Planned locations and notional coverage of Japan’s Aegis Ashore sites. Image source: Kunihiro Hayashi, Haruna Ishikawa, Hirotaka Kojo and Shinichi Fujiwara, “Prefectures Now Question Need for U.S. Missile Defense System,” The Asahi Shimbun, June 25, 2018. |
But Tokyo had already cut a $300-million check to Lockheed for two sets of SPY-7 radars for the two ashore missile bases. The SPY-7 is Lockheed’s answer to Raytheon’s iconic SPY-6, which forms the basis of the Aegis systems aboard more than 100 American and Japanese warships.
The SPY-7 includes thousands of heat-resistant gallium-nitride modules, each of which functions as its own miniature radar. Combine all the shoe-box-size modules, and the sensor can scan a vast volume of sky.
Lockheed claims the radar works equally well at sea as it does on land. The Canadian and Spanish navies are installing SPY-7 on new warships. If there’s a downside to the SPY-7, it’s that it’s only compatible with the older Baseline-9 version of Aegis software. Raytheon’s SPY-6 works with the latest Baseline-10.
Canceling its outstanding order with Lockheed for SPY-7s could cost Tokyo millions in fees. So it should come as no surprise that the Japanese navy is considering keeping the radars—and adding them to a new type of frigate.
The Aegis Ashore installations each were supposed to have four antennae. The navy could equip a new sub-class of frigate with two antennae each. That way, the existing order for SPY-7s could equip four ships.
As it happens, the Japanese navy already has begun production on a new class of 22 missile frigates. The 5,500-ton-displacement 30DX frigate, as designed, comes with the Japanese OPY-2 radar and 16 vertical missile-launchers that are compatible with the SM-3.
The first batch of 30DXs already is under construction. But Mitsubishi Heavy Industries could redesign later frigates to take the SPY-7 in place of the OPY-2. Or the navy could order additional frigates—and include the SPY-7 from the start.
Japan Navy Prepares For "Space Battle"; Radar For Its ASEV Warship Tracks Space Objects For The 1st Time
Lockheed Martin’s cutting-edge AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar, destined for Japan’s future Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully tracking space objects for the first time.
Lockheed Martin announced the milestone on April 4, following a successful demonstration on March 28. It is positioning itself as a cornerstone for Japan’s national defense strategy.
During the demonstration, the SPY-7 radar’s tactical hardware and software showcased their capability to track objects in space, affirming the radar system’s maturity and initiating comprehensive performance testing.
The radar, stationed at Lockheed Martin’s Production Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, underwent scrutiny in the presence of representatives from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and a US Navy Aegis Technical Representative, as stated by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Amr Hussein, Vice President of Multi-Domain Combat Solutions at Lockheed Martin, emphasized the rigorous integration and testing processes to minimize risks and ensure the prompt delivery of fully functional systems to Japan.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense plans to integrate the SPY-7 radar system into two ASEVs, underscoring the strategic importance of the program.
The ASEVs, each boasting a 12,000-ton displacement, are poised to become Japan’s largest surface combatants since World War II, with an estimated cost of $2.7 billion each.
The Japan Ministry of Defense aims to commission the two newly constructed JMSDF vessels in March 2028 and March 2029, respectively.
The SPY-7 radar, a product line leveraging technology from the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) program, is designed to fortify defenses against evolving threats. It offers 24/7 coverage for land and maritime applications worldwide.
Lockheed Martin reaffirmed “The SPY-7 radar system and Aegis Weapon System equipment will be fully tested ahead of the shipment to Japan.”
Additionally, Japan’s Aegis Combat System-equipped warships are slated to receive Tomahawk cruise missiles, with crews already undergoing training in preparation for deploying these advanced assets.
Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV)
The AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar’s achievement in tracking space objects signals the beginning of a new era in Japan’s defense capabilities. It offers improved surveillance and threat detection for its maritime operations.
Originally, Japan’s defense strategy included the land-based Aegis Ashore concept, which aimed to deploy two installations for comprehensive defense against ballistic missiles.
However, the project faced numerous challenges, including budget constraints, technical issues, and public concerns regarding the health impacts of radar radiation. Consequently, the initiative was officially halted in 2020.
In response, the ASEV emerged as a more adaptable and potentially more resilient alternative to address Japan’s missile defense requirements. Equipped with the AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar, these vessels offer a flexible solution without the constraints associated with static installations like Aegis Ashore.
The radar’s capability is especially critical for ASEVs armed with SM-3 anti-missile interceptors, designed to neutralize upper-tier ballistic missiles during their mid-course flight phase.
The AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar is a derivative of the US AN/SPY-7 Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), which employs GaN-based active electronically scanned array technology for improved efficiency and reliability.
Both the LRDR and AN/SPY-7(V)1 feature a modular design composed of smaller Solid State Radar (SSR) components, each containing GaN elements supplied by Fujitsu in Japan.
This modular configuration offers increased flexibility and resilience, as individual components can function independently, ensuring continued radar operation even in the event of block failure.
Moreover, renderings provided by the Japanese Ministry of Defense depict the AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar installed on ASEVs, featuring four fixed-face antenna arrays positioned around a large superstructure atop the bridge.
These vessels will be equipped with 128 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, housing variants of the SM-3 interceptors capable of engaging targets beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
In addition to the SM-3 anti-missile interceptors, some of the Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells on the Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs) will also be equipped with SM-6-series missiles.
These advanced missiles boast a versatile capability to engage a wide range of air and missile defense threats, including emerging challenges such as novel hypersonic weapons during the terminal stages of their flights.
In summary, the AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar’s space tracking capability is indispensable for ASEVs’ ballistic missile defense mission. With its advanced technology and modular design, the radar system will represent a significant step forward in Japan’s defense posture, ensuring heightened security and readiness in the face of evolving threats.
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