Lockheed Martin, working alongside the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), has completed the initial activation of the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV) shipset 1 radar system, including all four AN/SPY-7(V)1 antennas.
The milestone was achieved on schedule at Lockheed Martin’s Production and Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey, and marks the start of an intensive testing phase for Japan’s next-generation missile defense capability.
This “initial light off” is a critical step in the SPY-7 program, paving the way for comprehensive system validation before shipboard installation. The testing will assess the radar’s ballistic missile defense and integrated air and missile defense performance, ensuring it meets the high standards required for operational deployment.
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“By testing the complete SPY-7 radar system in a land-based facility, we’re able to verify the SPY-7 radar’s Ballistic Missile Defense and Integrated Air and Missile Defense capabilities meet warfighter needs ahead of shipboard installation, significantly reducing program deployment risk,” said Chandra Marshall, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin. “The complete SPY-7 radar system will be installed on Japan’s ASEV ships, serving as a critical component of Japan’s homeland defense.”
Following this testing phase, the radar system will undergo further tracking exercises before being delivered to Japan next year. A second shipset will then enter its own test and verification cycle. Lockheed Martin officially handed over all four SPY-7 radar antennas for the first ASEV shipset to JMOD in June, demonstrating the program’s production readiness and adherence to schedule.
SPY-7 is designed to provide advanced tracking and engagement capabilities against ballistic missile threats and other aerial targets. Its deployment aboard Japan’s ASEV ships will significantly enhance the nation’s ability to defend against emerging missile threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
Beyond the Japanese program, the SPY-7 radar continues to demonstrate its adaptability and global application. In December 2024, Spanish shipbuilder Navantia successfully integrated SCOMBA combat system consoles with the SPY-7(V)2 radar at the Aegis SCOMBA Integration Center in New Jersey, achieving full simulated engagement capability.
Domestically, Lockheed Martin and the MDA recently executed Flight Test Other-26a (FTX-26a), in which the company’s Long Range Discrimination Radar successfully detected, tracked, and relayed ballistic missile target data in a complex environment — an essential capability for homeland defense. Additionally, during Flight Experiment Mission-02, the SPY-7 land-based variant, known as TPY-6, intercepted a mid-range ballistic missile as part of the Aegis Guam System, underscoring the radar’s growing role in layered defense architectures.
The SPY-7 radar’s open-architecture, modular design allows it to be adapted for multiple platforms and missions. It is already being developed for Canada’s future River-class destroyers, Spain’s F-110 multi-mission frigates, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s land-based systems, including the Aegis Guam deployment and the Long Range Discrimination Radar.