US Navy begins SPY-6(V)4 radar testing ahead of first Arleigh Burke destroyer backfit
Arleigh Burke-class USS Pinckney sails during Operation Epic Fury in March 2026. (US Navy photo)
Wallops Island trials will validate the next-generation radar’s combat system integration before its installation aboard USS Pinckney, the first Flight IIA destroyer to receive the SPY-6(V)4 upgrade.
The US Navy’s (USN) SPY 6(V)4 radar has entered the testing phase after RTX Raytheon concluded the installation of the first array at the branch’s Surface Combat Systems Centre (SCSC) at Wallops Island in Virginia. The effort is part of the Arleigh Burke Class Flight IIA destroyer modernisation programme.
At the site, the service will evaluate SPY 6(V)4’s power and combat system interfaces. Following land-based testing, the radar will be installed aboard USS Pinckney (DDG 91), where shipboard trials are expected to begin later this year.
An official spokesperson for the company confirmed to Shephard that, at Wallops, the
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US Navy $76.6bn award provides stability for submarine production]()
US Navy $76.6bn award provides stability for submarine production
The US Department of War’s US$76.6 billion Columbia-and Virginia-class submarine contract gives industry demand certainty as Washington seeks to rebuild its shipbuilding base.
-
![Dreadnought Phase 4 opens £2.5 billion supply chain opportunity]()
Dreadnought Phase 4 opens £2.5 billion supply chain opportunity
The UK government’s £8.4 billion Dreadnought Phase 4 investment sets aside £2.5 billion for the wider submarine supply chain, opening new work beyond BAE Systems’ prime contract.
-
![A400M trial demonstrates airborne deployment of uncrewed surface vessel]()
A400M trial demonstrates airborne deployment of uncrewed surface vessel
Kraken Technology Group’s A400M airdrop of a K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel points to a new way for navies to insert USVs into contested waters, bypassing ports and motherships.
