Raytheon has developed a modular radar for the U.S. Navy that will greatly enhance defense against airborne and ballistic threats. Officially designated as SPY-6, the radar comes in multiple variants for different warship types, depending on how much power, cooling and space they have available. One variant is intended for backfitting on destroyers already in the fleet, with the first deliveries of that variant scheduled for 2024. However, the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has recently called for accelerated fielding of SPY-6 on legacy destroyers in response to growing threats from China. If the Navy has an option for early installation, it should take that step. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
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