US Navy awards DRS Laurel Technologies a contract for SPQ-9B radars.

DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $19.1 million firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5395 to exercise options for AN/SPQ-9B radar system production. This modification will provide for five AN/SPQ-9B radar systems; four Combat Interface Kits; First Article Testing; and physical configuration audit.

SPQ-9B radar deployed aboard LHA 6 (Picture source: US Navy)

Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by January 2025. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $19.1 million will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 23, 2018).

The SPQ-9B is an X-Band, pulse Doppler, frequency agile radar which was designed specifically for the littoral environment. It has a very high clutter improvement factor supporting a very low false track rate in the littorals and in high clutter environments. The SPQ-9B scans out to the horizon and performs simultaneous and automatic air and surface target detection and tracking of low flying Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCMs), surface threats and low/slow flying aircraft, UAVs and helicopters.