AN/SPY-1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The AN/SPY-1 radar antennas can be seen on the front and starboard side of the superstructure of USS Lake Erie (CG-70). |
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| Country of origin: | United States |
|---|---|
| Introduced: | 1973 |
| Type: | 3D Air-search |
| Frequency: | S band[1] |
| Range: | 100+ nm[2] |
| Azimuth: | 0-360º |
| Elevation: | Horizon-Zenith[3] |
| Power: | 4 MW (peak) |
The AN/SPY-1 is a US naval radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The array is a passive electronically scanned system, it is a key component of the Aegis combat system. The is computer controlled, using four complimentary antennae in order to provide full 360 degree coverage. The system was first installed in 1973 on the USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) and entered active service in 1983 as the SPY-1A on USS Ticonderoga. The –1A was installed on ships up to CG-58, with the –1B upgrade first installed on Princeton in 1986. The upgraded –1B(V) was retrofitted to existing ships from CG-59 up to the last, CG-73.
The SPY-1D was first installed on Arleigh Burke in 1991. It is a variant of the –1B to fit the Arleigh Burke class. The –1D(V), the Littoral Warfare Radar, was an upgrade introduced in 1998 for high clutter near-coast operations, an area in which the earlier "blue water" systems were especially weak.
The SPY-1F is a smaller version of the 1D designed to fit frigates. It is not used by the US Navy but has been exported to Spain and Norway. The origin of the SPY-1F can be traced back to the Frigate Array Radar System (FARS) proposed to the German Navy in the 1980s. SPY-1F has a maximum range of 200 nautical miles according to the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The SPY-1K is the smallest version of the radar currently offered, based on the same architecture as the 1D and 1F. It is intended for use on very small vessels such as corvettes, where even the SPY-1F would be too large. As of 2007, none are in service, although the radar is incorporated into the design of the yet-unbuilt AFCON Corvette. [4][5]
Aegis cruisers also require the AN/SPG-62 fire control director to provide terminal guidance of the Standard missile during the final seconds prior to intercept.[6]
[edit] Variants
- AN/SPY-1 - Prototypes, USS Norton Sound (AVM-1).
- AN/SPY-1A - Ticonderoga class cruisers up to CG-58.
- AN/SPY-B - Ticonderoga class cruisers starting at CG-59.
- AN/SPY-1B(V) - Upgrade to -1B version, retrofitted to CG-59 and up.
- AN/SPY-1D - Variant of -1B designed for Arleigh Burke class destroyers and JDS Kongō class destroyers.
- AN/SPY-1D(V) - Littoral Warfare Radar upgrade to the -1D variant for DDG 51 Flight IIA and up.
- AN/SPY-1F - Smaller version of the -1D designed to fit frigates. Installed on the RNoN Fridtjof Nansen class frigates.
- AN/SPY-1K - Smallest version of the radar offered, intended to fit corvette-sized vessels. None currently in service.
