DAHLGREN, Va. –
The AN/SPY-6(V)1 Radar and Aegis Baseline 10 Test Team, consisting of Cory Willoughby, Joseph Aust and James Ciba, received the Assistant Secretary of the Navy Research, Development and Acquisition 2024 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers of the Year Award. This award was presented to the team in recognition of their exceptional technical expertise and unwavering dedication in testing the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Radar integrated with the Aegis Weapon System, Baseline 10.
On October 7, 2023, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) was commissioned in Tampa, Florida and was the first of its kind to be equipped with the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. At the heart of this system is the AN/SPY-6(V)1, an advanced, multi-function active phased-array radar. Capable of integrated air and missile defense with new digital beamforming technology for rapid search and track, it is integral to the new Baseline 10 Aegis Weapon System and allows the ship to defend against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, hostile aircraft and surface ships simultaneously.
Over the past several years, the team conducted lab and land-based tests on the East and Gulf Coasts and in Hawaii, while navigating multiple challenges along the way. The team had to root-cause and turn around fixes for several problems that were often only revealed through underway testing. They collected and distributed data across a team of engineers from site and ship and coordinated test assets with repeated tests to verify readiness, often in the face of inclement Gulf Coast weather. Contingency plans were created with “break the glass” configurations. Their persistent efforts culminated in a significant milestone in the AN/SPY-6(V)1 development process on October 2, 2023, when the first live-fire air defense test of the Standard Missile 2 was successfully launched from the Jack H. Lucas.
The test team's achievements mark a major leap in the Navy's offensive and defensive capabilities, setting a new benchmark for modern radar systems. The team supported the AN/SPY-6(V)1 development process, which represented a significant advancement in naval warfare technology, ensuring that these systems will remain effective against 21st-century threats.
The dedication and technical prowess demonstrated by this team underscores the pivotal role of scientific excellence in advancing national defense capabilities.