US defense firm Raytheon has secured a contract to develop software upgrades to improve naval radar performance.
The work will focus on helping radars detect smaller targets farther away and identify them faster. The improvements are intended for the US Navy’s SPY-6 radar family and other future naval systems.
The project will combine software development and testing to enhance radar capabilities, with the upgrades expected to support naval operations through improved target detection and classification.
Improves target detection
RTX’s Raytheon will develop software upgrades designed to improve the detection range, sensitivity, and processing efficiency of naval radar systems under a contract awarded by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR).
The program will focus on advanced signal- and data-processing algorithms that can help radars detect smaller objects at greater distances and classify targets more quickly. Rather than relying solely on hardware modifications, the approach uses software improvements to enhance the performance of existing radar systems.
The upgrades are intended for Raytheon’s SPY-6 family of naval radars and other future systems. Work under the contract will continue through 2031, with development and testing taking place at company facilities in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and Andover, Massachusetts.
Raytheon’s Advanced Technology team will develop and evaluate algorithms that process radar signals and the resulting data. These algorithms will be integrated through targeted software changes intended to improve how radar systems detect, distinguish, and classify objects.
Radar systems transmit electromagnetic waves and analyze the signals objects reflect to determine their presence and characteristics. Detecting smaller targets at greater distances can be challenging because their reflections may be weaker and harder to distinguish from background signals and other sources of interference.
Improvements in signal processing can help radar systems extract useful information from received signals, while data-processing algorithms can support the interpretation and classification of detected objects. The planned upgrades aim to improve these capabilities without requiring a complete replacement of existing radar hardware.
The software will undergo laboratory and field testing to evaluate its performance and establish its suitability for operational use. The testing process will help determine whether the upgrades deliver the intended improvements before they are prepared for deployment.
“Modernizing fielded radar systems with software-first upgrades is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to deliver mission-ready capability,” said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon, in a statement.
Smarter naval radar software
The program will support Raytheon’s SPY-6 family, which uses modular radar technology across different naval platforms. The family includes configurations designed to meet the requirements of aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and other surface vessels.
The SPY-6(V)2 uses a rotating antenna array and is designed for amphibious assault ships and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The SPY-6(V)3 uses three fixed antenna arrays and is intended for Ford-class aircraft carriers and guided-missile frigates.
The radar family is designed to provide target and threat information to support naval operations. Raytheon says its systems can supply targeting and threat data for naval weapons, including all Standard Missile variants.
Shared components and modular construction are intended to improve reliability while reducing maintenance costs across different radar configurations. Software improvements could further enhance the capabilities of these systems without requiring extensive changes to their physical architecture.
The contract also builds on Raytheon’s work in software-defined apertures, an approach that uses software to influence how radar systems process signals and perform their functions. The company will draw on technical developments from earlier ONR initiatives, including ASPIRE and STORM, which supported advances in radar hardware and software.