WASHINGTON - The Navy concluded a successful light-off
test of its upgraded Periscope Detection and Discrimination (PDD) capability
for the AN/SPQ-9B Anti-Ship Missile Defense Radar onboard USS Lake Champlain
(CG 57) March 12.
The upgraded PDD capability represents a noteworthy
improvement in submarine detection in support of the Navy's overall
anti-surface warfare efforts.
Champlain is currently conducting live-fire testing off
the coast of California with its 5-inch guns to verify the new mode on the
SPQ-9B while the crew undergoes operator training to ensure proficiency with
the new capability.
"Our men and women have worked so hard to develop
the technology for this key capability," said Rear Adm. Jon A. Hill,
program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). "We
are eager to move forward with delivery of this upgrade to the fleet to improve
their warfighting capability."
In December 2015, the Navy awarded a contract for
AN/SPQ-9B production to Northrop Grumman to provide radar systems with the PDD
mode to DDG 51-Class Destroyers.
"This award was a huge milestone for our SPQ-9B
team," said Capt. Seiko Okano, SPQ-9B program manager. "The Navy is
counting on us to deliver this vital system on schedule and this contract award
keeps us on track to do exactly that."
The delivery of this capability represents the
culmination of almost a decade of Navy investment in developing a periscope
detection mode for the AN/SPQ-9B Radar and the collaborative efforts of NAVSEA
agencies, Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Laboratory, and Naval
Surface and Expeditionary Warfare Command.
PEO IWS is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the
Naval Sea Systems Command. IWS is responsible for spearheading surface ship and
submarine combat technologies and systems, and for implementing Navy enterprise
solutions across ship platforms.
- NAVSEA -