Raytheon, a business unit of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has completed installation of the first SPY-6(V)4 radar array at the Surface Combat Systems Center in Wallops Island, Virginia.
The milestone represents a significant step forward in the U.S. Navy’s Flight IIA Destroyer modernization effort and the broader SPY-6 backfit program.
The Wallops Island facility is a land-based test site situated over an open-water environment, making it well suited for rigorous radar and systems testing ahead of shipboard installation.
The site will support extensive testing of the radar and its power and combat system interfaces before the equipment is installed on USS Pinckney (DDG 91), the first ship slated for the SPY-6(V)4 backfit.
SPY-6(V)4 is one of four variants in the SPY-6 radar family and stands as the only variant specifically engineered to backfit Flight IIA Destroyers currently in service.
Initial testing at the Wallops site is set to begin later this year, with the evaluation phase expected to continue through mid-2028.
“By leveraging the Wallops test site, we’ll be able to integrate SPY-6(V)4 with its dedicated power system before it reaches the ship, reducing the amount of testing needed on DDG 91,” said Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon.
“That means less time in the shipyard, more time dedicated to the mission, and a smoother path for future backfit ships,” Borgonovi added.
DDG 91 is scheduled to be available for the SPY-6(V)4 backfit from late 2026 through 2028, placing significant pressure on program teams to maintain schedule discipline.
The Navy and Raytheon are relying on the Wallops site to meet this compressed timeline and ensure a smooth handoff from test environment to operational shipboard installation.
The program is a collaborative undertaking involving the Navy, the NASA Wallops team, and multiple industry partners, reflecting a broad government-industry partnership aimed at enhancing surface fleet capability.
Other SPY-6 radar variants are already operational aboard two commissioned U.S. Navy ships and have been installed on 11 additional vessels currently undergoing required testing ahead of commissioning.
Over the next decade, the SPY-6 system is expected to be deployed on more than 50 U.S. Navy ships, bolstering defenses against air, surface, ballistic, and electronic warfare threats.
Raytheon has invested $800 million to modernize its radar manufacturing facilities and expand production capacity, with plans to double SPY-6 output by 2028 to meet long-term Navy demand.
RTX reported 2025 sales of more than $88 billion and employs more than 180,000 people globally, with its headquarters located in Arlington, Virginia.
