WASHINGTON, — The U.S. Navy and Raytheon are studying options to accelerate the installation of the AN/SPY-6(V)3 S-band radar on the Navy’s three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers.
Jen Gauthier, Raytheon’s vice president of Naval Systems & Sustainment, confirmed that the study is examining the replacement of the Zumwalt class’s existing AN/SPY-3 X-band multifunction radar with the SPY-6(V)3. The upgrade was previously expected in the mid-2030s, but the first installation could now take place as early as 2028, subject to the ongoing study.
Existing Radar Hardware Could Accelerate Upgrade
A major reason for the possible acceleration is the availability of SPY-6(V)3 radar hardware originally built for the now-cancelled FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate program. The Navy cancelled the Constellation program on November 25, 2025, and the already-built radar systems are being considered for reuse on the Zumwalt ships. This could reduce the need to wait for new radar production.
Part of the ZEUS Modernization
The radar upgrade is a central part of the Zumwalt Enterprise Upgrade Solution (ZEUS), which Naval Sea Systems Command began assessing in 2022. ZEUS aims to replace unique Zumwalt-class combat systems and sensors with equipment used across the wider U.S. Navy surface fleet, improving long-term supportability and interoperability.
The AN/SPY-6(V)3 is part of the Navy’s AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar family. It uses three fixed array faces, with each face containing nine Radar Modular Assemblies (RMAs). Each RMA is a self-contained radar antenna housed in a 2-by-2-by-2-foot box. The V3 configuration is roughly comparable in size to the existing SPY-3, which could reduce the need for major structural changes during installation.
Gauthier said Raytheon has already received funding to study radar availability and integration with the DDG-1000 class. Raytheon has also received Navy funding for development work on the Zumwalt combat management system to support potential SPY-6 integration. In April 2026, the Navy awarded Raytheon a $213.4 million contract modification for combat-system integration, modernization, installation, testing and sustainment work on the class through 2027.
SPY-6 Upgrade for Arleigh Burke Destroyers
The Zumwalt effort is running alongside the Navy’s SPY-6 upgrade of DDG-51 Flight IIA destroyers. Under the DDG MOD 2.0 program, the larger AN/SPY-6(V)4 will replace the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D radar. The V4 has four array faces, each containing 24 RMAs.
Raytheon has already delivered and installed the first SPY-6(V)4 array at the Navy’s Surface Combat Systems Center at Wallops Island, Virginia, where it will undergo testing of its power requirements and combat-system interfaces. The USS Pinckney (DDG-91) is scheduled to become the first Flight IIA destroyer to receive the V4, with the backfit planned from late 2026 to 2028.
Zumwalt-Class Ships
The three Zumwalt-class destroyers are USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), and USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002). The ships are also being modernized for their surface-strike role, including integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system.
The SPY-6(V)3 study remains underway, and the 2028 first installation is currently a potential accelerated schedule rather than a finalized Navy decision.
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