AN/SPY-3

The AN/SPY-3 is a radar designed for both blue-water and littoral [cite web
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/mfr.htm
title = AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar (MFR)
author = Pike, John
id = Pike] operations. It can combine the functions of up to five radars and ten antennas:

Ancestry

The AEGIS battle management system began with the AN/SPY-1 radar, intended to deal with an aircraft threat. AN/SPY-2 is an additional AEGIS system, which extends the AEGIS system sensors to be capable of ballistic missile defense.

Technology

AN/SPY-3 is the first US shipboard Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) system. It operates in both the X-band and S-band of radar frequencies [cite web
title = Dual Band Radar (DBR) Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program
url= http://www.raytheon.com/products/stellent/groups/public/documents/content/cms04_019237.pdf
author=Raytheon Corporation
accessdate = 2007-12-13] .

While it can perform most functions in either frequency band, for functions such as horizon search (anti-seaskimmer) and precision track (for firecontrol) the band can be selected for current atmospheric, target characteristics, and other factors such as anomalous and multipath propagation. It has a single 6-faced antenna that can share the bands when, for example, the electronics in one band are controlling a maximum number of missiles.

X-band functionality, in the 7 to 12.5 GHz frequency range, is optimal for 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 (ESSM). Using the S-band is advantageous for search, operation in all forms of weather, and a narrow beam width for target tracking and resolution.

The system uses commercial off the shelf (COTS) computers and has reduced manning requirements for operation and maintenance. A number of operation and maintenance functions can be completely automated.

Deployment

While the system will be introduced in the DDG-1000 new ship construction, it is under consideration both for retrofit to existing ships, and being used on additional classes of vessel, beginning with the CVN 77 carriers. Other installation candidates are LHD 8, CVN 70−76 (as a backfit), LPD 17 (as a backfit) and CVN(X) and LH(X) future ship classes Harv | Pike.

ee also

*Radar
*Phased array
*AESA
*DD(X)
*CG(X)

References