#newusnavyweapons US Warships Get Double Boost Against Chinese Missiles By Ryan Chan,
7 hours ago United States destroyers recently received upgrades in hardware and training for defense, as China is set to unveil new missiles designed to sink enemy warships.
China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters China is scheduled to hold a military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where its newest weapons are expected to be displayed. Four new anti-ship missiles were spotted during a rehearsal earlier this month.
Missiles are central to China's sophisticated anti-access and area denial strategy, which seeks to prevent or restrict an enemy from entering and operating in a given area, serving as a countermeasure against possible U.S. intervention in a conflict in the Western Pacific.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the workhorses of the U.S. Navy's surface combat fleet, capable of anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. They are often deployed in disputed waters near China, including the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
What To Know U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced on Tuesday that the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar recently completed its first live test in a maritime environment at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, successfully tracking air and surface targets under various conditions.
The AN/SPY-6(V)4 is one of four variants in the SPY-6 radar family for U.S. naval vessels, capable of simultaneously defending against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, as well as anti-surface and anti-air threats, and countering jamming and electronic warfare.
Unlike ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory, hypersonic missiles—capable of flying over five times the speed of sound—can maneuver during flight, making them difficult to intercept. Three of China's new anti-ship weapons could be hypersonic missiles.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar will allow Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyers to enhance their detection and tracking capabilities, enabling them to more effectively monitor and respond to threats in real time.
According to the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer family has four variants in service, or "Flights": Flight I, Flight II, Flight IIA, and the newest, Flight III, equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar for simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy opened a new high-explosive magazine on San Nicolas Island, California, on August 20. Paired with a recently completed assembly building, the facilities can build and store eight GQM-163A targets, doubling the previous capacity of four.
The GQM-163A target is designed to simulate advanced supersonic anti-ship cruise missile threats for ship-defense testing. San Nicolas Island is equipped with two launchers that can fire four targets simultaneously, allowing sailors to train against multiple incoming threats.
"The threat environment is changing every day, and we must change and grow with it," said Rear Admiral Keith Hash, commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
Presenting multiple realistic threats gives the U.S. Navy a decisive advantage to "deter aggression and, if necessary, win in conflict and return home safely," he added.
What People Are Saying Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said in a press release on Tuesday: "The successful live demonstration of the SPY-6(V)4 radar is a major step forward in advancing the capabilities of today's fleet and supporting allied operations worldwide."
U.S. Navy Captain Anthony Holmes, commanding officer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Port Hueneme Division, said in a press release on August 21: "For the past two years, our surface Navy has been taking the fight, taking the shots, on the other side of the world ... Our warfighters are being asked to fight and use their ships and weapons in ways they never thought they would."
What Happens Next It remains unclear when the first Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyer will be upgraded with the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar to enhance its defense against China's evolving missile threats.
By Ryan Chan,
7 hours ago
United States destroyers recently received upgrades in hardware and training for defense, as China is set to unveil new missiles designed to sink enemy warships.
China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
China is scheduled to hold a military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where its newest weapons are expected to be displayed. Four new anti-ship missiles were spotted during a rehearsal earlier this month.
Missiles are central to China's sophisticated anti-access and area denial strategy, which seeks to prevent or restrict an enemy from entering and operating in a given area, serving as a countermeasure against possible U.S. intervention in a conflict in the Western Pacific.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the workhorses of the U.S. Navy's surface combat fleet, capable of anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. They are often deployed in disputed waters near China, including the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
What To Know
U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced on Tuesday that the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar recently completed its first live test in a maritime environment at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, successfully tracking air and surface targets under various conditions.
The AN/SPY-6(V)4 is one of four variants in the SPY-6 radar family for U.S. naval vessels, capable of simultaneously defending against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, as well as anti-surface and anti-air threats, and countering jamming and electronic warfare.
Unlike ballistic missiles that follow a predictable trajectory, hypersonic missiles—capable of flying over five times the speed of sound—can maneuver during flight, making them difficult to intercept. Three of China's new anti-ship weapons could be hypersonic missiles.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar will allow Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyers to enhance their detection and tracking capabilities, enabling them to more effectively monitor and respond to threats in real time.
According to the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer family has four variants in service, or "Flights": Flight I, Flight II, Flight IIA, and the newest, Flight III, equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar for simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy opened a new high-explosive magazine on San Nicolas Island, California, on August 20. Paired with a recently completed assembly building, the facilities can build and store eight GQM-163A targets, doubling the previous capacity of four.
The GQM-163A target is designed to simulate advanced supersonic anti-ship cruise missile threats for ship-defense testing. San Nicolas Island is equipped with two launchers that can fire four targets simultaneously, allowing sailors to train against multiple incoming threats.
"The threat environment is changing every day, and we must change and grow with it," said Rear Admiral Keith Hash, commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
Presenting multiple realistic threats gives the U.S. Navy a decisive advantage to "deter aggression and, if necessary, win in conflict and return home safely," he added.
What People Are Saying
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said in a press release on Tuesday: "The successful live demonstration of the SPY-6(V)4 radar is a major step forward in advancing the capabilities of today's fleet and supporting allied operations worldwide."
U.S. Navy Captain Anthony Holmes, commanding officer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Port Hueneme Division, said in a press release on August 21: "For the past two years, our surface Navy has been taking the fight, taking the shots, on the other side of the world ... Our warfighters are being asked to fight and use their ships and weapons in ways they never thought they would."
What Happens Next
It remains unclear when the first Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyer will be upgraded with the AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar to enhance its defense against China's evolving missile threats.