Lockheed Martin has begun critical testing of the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV)’s first radar shipset in cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Defense (JMOD) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The initial “light off” of the SPY-7(V)1 radar system, including all four antennas, was completed on schedule at the company’s Production and Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey.
This phase marks the start of a broader testing process intended to support the ASEV construction and commissioning timeline. The system’s performance will be evaluated to ensure the radar’s full integration with Aegis meets operational requirements.
Chandra Marshall, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin, said:
“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.”
She added, “The complete SPY-7 radar system will be installed on Japan’s ASEV ships, serving as a critical component of Japan’s homeland defense.”
According to the program schedule, shipset 1 will undergo additional tracking exercises before being delivered to Japan in 2026. Shipset 2 will also be transferred to JMOD for testing and verification.
Earlier this year, Lockheed Martin formally handed over the first four SPY-7 antennas to JMOD while retaining them for continued testing in the United States. The company noted that the on-time delivery demonstrated the maturity of production processes.
The SPY-7 radar system has also seen parallel progress in other programs. In 2024, Spain’s Navantia integrated its SCOMBA combat system with SPY-7 at the Aegis SCOMBA Integration Center in New Jersey, while in the U.S. the Long Range Discrimination Radar and land-based SPY-7 variant, TPY-6, successfully tracked and intercepted ballistic missile targets during flight tests.
SPY-7 radars are being fielded internationally, including Canada’s River-class destroyers, Spain’s F-110 multi-mission frigates, and the U.S. land-based Aegis Guam system.
