Germany will become the first foreign navy to fit Raytheon’s SPY-6 radars to its naval vessels after it selected them for its new F127 air defence frigates.
As per a press statement from Raytheon’s parent company RTX, the German Government has made a Foreign Military Sales request to equip its planned eight new F127 frigates with the SPY-6(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) 3D radar system.
Developed by the firm for the U.S. Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to provide integrated air and missile defence, variants of the system are also being developed to retrofit older U.S. ships. SPY-6 will eventually be deployed on more than 60 U.S. Navy vessels as part of a wider $3 billion contract awarded back in 2022.
Subject to regulatory approval, the contract to fit SPY-6 to the new German Navy vessels would make Germany the first international customer for the radar system, which features four arrays each with 37 modular assemblies providing 360-degree situational awareness.
President of Naval Power at Raytheon Barbara Borgonovi commented: “Germany’s selection of SPY-6 reaffirms the global confidence in the radar’s advanced capabilities and its critical role in enhancing naval defence.”
She added: “Integrating the radar on F127 frigates will provide the German Navy with a multi-mission solution that enables faster and more informed decision-making at sea.”
Intended as a replacement for the German Navy’s Type F124 Sachsen class, the F127 frigates are being constructed by a joint venture formed by German shipyards NVL and TKMS.
It is anticipated they will be an evolution of TKMS’s MEKO A-400 design, displacing around 10,000 tonnes and about 160m long. The first ship in the class is scheduled to be ready to enter active service in 2034.
- You can read more details on the RTX website