Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are to receive new Raytheon radar. Photo courtesy the U.S. Navy

May 4 (UPI) -- Raytheon has started low-rate initial production of 3-D air and missile defense radar for U.S. Navy destroyers, the company announced.

Production of three AN/SPY-6(V) radar ship sets began Wednesday following notification that the company was receiving a $327,146,998 Fixed Price Incentive modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise options for an Air and Missile Defense Radar Program.


"Progressing to production is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication from our AMDR team of experts across Raytheon, the Navy, and our world-class suppliers," said Raytheon's Tad Dickenson, director of the Air and Missile Defense Radar program. "In just over three years of the engineering, manufacturing and development phase, we've gone from a technology demonstrator to a technically mature, highly advanced, functioning radar.

"Production begins today -- which brings us one day closer to delivering this needed, and unprecedented, integrated air and missile defense capability to the Navy," the statement released Wednesday said.

AN/SPY-6(V) radar is an active electronically scanned array air and missile defense radar.