Northrop Grumman wins US Navy AN/SPQ-9B radar award

Northrop Grumman will supply AN/SPQ-9B radar systems for the US Navy’s amphibious and Arleigh Burke class ships under a contract award worth $20.4 million.

The series of radars will be installed on the LPD-27, LHA-7 and DDG-79 ships. The latter will be the first guided missile destroyer (DDG) to be modernised, which - the company said - will lead the way for installation of the AN/SPQ-9B radars onto the upcoming Flight III DDG-51 destroyers.

The high-resolution, X-band AN/SPQ-9B radar system is designed to improve the vessel's ability to defend against small high-speed threats, such as surface-skimming anti-ship missiles. The multi-mission radar system will be integrated with the ships' fire-control systems to detect small fast-moving targets in the presence of clutter from ocean waves, rain and land returns, as well as chaff and jamming.

Bill Hannon, vice president, Northrop Grumman's Maritime Systems business unit, said: ‘This is a significant step for Northrop Grumman because it leads the way for a potential of more than 60 DDG-51 radar backfits as well 16 forward fits on the next Flight III destroyers. The AN/SPQ-9B's performance supplies greater radar capability to surface ships, and represents another milestone in our long term legacy of supplying radars to the navy.’

Northrop Grumman began low-rate initial production of the AN/SPQ-9B in 2000 and full-rate production in 2004, and has supplied 53 radar systems since then. These systems will be delivered in the second quarter of 2015.