US Navy selects Northrop Grumman as design agent for AN/SPQ-9B radar


Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded the role of design agent for the AN/SPQ-9B surface search and fire control radar.


US Navy Selects Northrop Grumman as Design Agent for AN SPQ 9B Radar The AN/SPQ-9B surface search and fire control radar (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)


The AN/SPQ-9B is a multimode X-band pulse Doppler radar that detects all known and projected sea skimming missiles.

The multimission radar is designed to detect small, fast-moving targets in the presence of clutter from ocean waves, rain and land returns, as well as chaff and jamming. Additional capabilities now in final development include 3-D volumetric search, demonstrated  for the U.S. Navy in live aircraft tracking tests at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dam Neck Naval Base, Va.

As design agent, Northrop Grumman provides support to existing and future systems, troubleshoots issues, performs redesign efforts as parts go obsolete and adds new capabilities to the baseline system. This follow-on engineering services contract will continue to support the installed base of 50 AN/SPQ-9B radar systems on ships and at six land sites, as well as future systems as they are delivered to the fleet. It will provide the Navy with uninterrupted technical assistance in their system installations, upgrades and follow-on production efforts.

“We are honored to continue our support of more than two decades to the fleet,” said Todd Leavitt, vice president, maritime systems, Northrop Grumman. “By leveraging our expertise and partnership with the U.S. Navy, we have developed radar systems that increasingly support complex missions. We are committed to maximizing the design and engineering of this technology and enhancing capability that will extend to the Navy’s next generation radars.”

This engineering services contract continues Northrop Grumman’s leadership in hardware and software development for the anti-cruise missile defense mission for the fleet. The system provides fire-control quality track data in stressing, high-clutter environments to protect high-value surface combatants.