US tests AN/SPQ-9B’s PDD capability
The upgraded Periscope Detection and Discrimination (PDD) capabilities of the AN/SPQ-9B anti-ship missile defence radar have been successfully tested by the US Navy, it was announced on 17 March.
The PDD mode improves the submarine detection capabilities of the AN/SPQ-9B radar in support of the navy’s overall anti-surface warfare efforts.
The live-fire testing of the system was conducted off the coast of California from USS Lake Champlain with the vessel’s 5-inch guns to verify the new mode on the SPQ-9B while the crew underwent operator training.
The navy awarded a contract for AN/SPQ-9B production to Northrop Grumman in December to provide radar systems with the PDD mode to DDG 51-class destroyers.
Rear Adm. Jon A. Hill, program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), said: ‘Our men and women have worked so hard to develop the technology for this key capability. We are eager to move forward with delivery of this upgrade to the fleet to improve their warfighting capability.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
-
![Russia’s uncrewed boat portfolio hints at future naval demand]()
Russia’s uncrewed boat portfolio hints at future naval demand
Ukrainian intelligence has catalogued more than 20 Russian uncrewed surface vessels, revealing a portfolio weighted towards mine warfare and logistics, with implications for Western naval investment.
