AN/SPY-3
The AN/SPY-3 is an active electronically scanned array radar manufactured by Raytheon and designed for both blue-water and littoral operations.
In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System, the "AN/SPY-3" designation represents the 3rd design of an Army-Navy electronic device for surface ship surveillance radar system. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.
Technology
X band functionality is optimal for minimizing low-altitude propagation effects, narrow beam width for best tracking accuracy, wide frequency bandwidth for effective target discrimination, and the target illumination for SM-2 and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles. The X-band has, in general, favorable low-altitude propagation characteristics, which readily support the horizon search functionality of the AN/SPY-3. A large operating bandwidth is required to mitigate large propagation variations due to meteorological conditions.The system uses commercial off the shelf computers and has reduced manning requirements for operation and maintenance. A number of operation and maintenance functions can be completely automated. Commercial IBM System p series symmetric multiprocessor servers, ruggedized for the shipboard environment, provide the low-latency computing throughput and high productivity software engineering environment.
The system was introduced in the new s and s. On both of these classes, the AN/SPY-3 was originally to be combined with the S Band AN/SPY-4 under the designator "Dual Band Radar". In June 2010, Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter announced that they will be removing the SPY-4 S-band Volume Search Radar from the DDG 1000's dual-band radar to reduce costs as part of the Nunn-McCurdy certification process. Due to the SPY-4 removal, SPY-3 radar is to have software modifications so as to perform a volume search functionality.
Shipboard operators will be able to optimize the SPY-3 MFR for either horizon search or volume search. While optimized for volume search, the horizon search capability is limited. Without the VSR, DDG-1000 is still expected to perform local area air defense. aircraft carrier will be the only ship to have both radars married in one system.
AN/SPY-3 was also under consideration for retrofit to existing ships, as well for installation in future LH.