Lockheed Martin has handed over the second shipset of the AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar destined for Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs).
The radar package will first be integrated and tested at Lockheed Martin’s facilities to ensure system readiness before shipment to Japan, reducing integration risks and helping maintain the vessels’ commissioning schedule. The delivery follows the first radar shipset supplied in June 2025 and supports the planned commissioning of the two ships in 2027 and 2028.
The transaction was conducted through a Direct Commercial Sale agreement arranged by Mitsubishi Corporation.
Missile Defense
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is acquiring two ASEVs to enhance its ballistic missile defense capability, particularly against potential threats from North Korea.
Each vessel will feature the Aegis Combat System alongside the SPY-7 radar, providing automated command, control, and weapons management capabilities.
The SPY-7 is a solid-state radar designed for advanced detection and tracking, enabling the system to monitor multiple targets simultaneously and support interceptions against ballistic missiles, aircraft, and hypersonic weapons.
Shipbuilding contracts for the program were awarded in 2024, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries responsible for constructing the first ship and Japan Marine United Corporation building the second.
The ASEV design measures about 190 meters (623 feet) in length and 25 meters (82 feet) in width, with a standard displacement of approximately 12,000 tons.
This makes the new vessels larger than Japan’s Maya-class destroyer guided-missile destroyers, which are 170 meters (557 feet) long, 21 meters (69 feet) wide, and have a displacement of around 8,200 tons.
