Multiple Target Engagement at Greater Ranges
Lockheed Martin and its Japanese partners are to provide Japan’s Ministry of Defence with two solid state radar (SSR) antenna sets for the AEGIS ASHORE Japan programme, the company announced on 20 November.
Recently designated by the US government as AN/SPY-7(V)1, this technology is derived from current radar programmes and significant Lockheed Martin investment. Variants of the SPY-7 radar will also be used through partnerships with the US government, Spain and Canada. To date, the technology has been selected for a total of 24 systems.
Equipped with the latest digital SSR, AEGIS ASHORE Japan will integrate the SPY-7 radar with the AEGIS Combat System and protect Japan with a robust system that:
• Can detect, track and engage sophisticated ballistic missile threats;
• Provides several times the detection range and sensitivity of traditional SPY-1 AEGIS ASHORE systems; and
• Engages multiple targets simultaneously with proven interceptors.
In countering ballistic missile threats, AEGIS ASHORE and SPY-7 will provide continuous protection for Japan. Lockheed Martin is leveraging programmes of record for this application and is exploiting the existing supply chain that already supports multiple SSR programmes.
The combat system for AEGIS ASHORE Japan will be compatible with the current AEGIS naval fleet for full interoperability. As the threat environment evolves, AEGIS ASHORE Japan will be updated from the same common source library (CSL) of software updates that all assets access.
The AEGIS weapon system is the most widely-deployed combat system in the world, its flexible system architecture enabling it to fulfil a variety of missions. Its unique open architecture allows it to maintain interoperability across global domains on 118 ships, 10 ship classes and seven countries to protect troops on the front line.