The Japanese Ministry of Defense has accepted its first shipset of four AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar antennas from Lockheed Martin, where they will be fitted on Tokyo’s first Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV).
Japan is building two Aegis vessels, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries building the first and Japan Marine United Corporation building the second. The ASEVs are expected to enter service by 2028 and 2029, respectively.
They will feature the SPY-7 radar to simultaneously detect, track, and engage multiple enemy assets, including ballistic missiles, anti-air weapons, and hypersonic threats. Meanwhile, the modular and scalable radar is also capable of differentiating real threats from false ones.
Made under a Direct Commercial Sale, Lockheed delivered the radar antennas through Mitsubishi Corporation following rigorous acceptance testing.
“The successful on-time delivery of all antennas for the first ASEV showcases the maturity and scalability of the SPY-7 radar as well as production capacity, while also demonstrating Lockheed Martin’s dedication and expertise in system integration,” said Chandra Marshall, VP of Multi-Domain Combat Solutions at Lockheed Martin.
Although Japan has accepted the components, the radar antennas will remain at Lockheed’s Production Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, for full system integration and testing this year.
This “will significantly reduce integration risk and enable commissioning on schedule,” Marshall noted.
Apart from Japan’s Aegis vessels, the SPY-7 radar is also being developed for integration aboard Canada’s River-Class destroyers and Spain’s F-110 frigates.
Meanwhile, its land-based variant, the TPY-6, is built on the same radar technology as the US Long Range Discrimination Radar.
