Lockheed Martin has delivered the second shipset of the AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar system for Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs).
The package will first undergo full system integration and testing at Lockheed’s facilities before it is physically shipped to Japan to reduce integration risk and enable on-schedule commissioning.
The delivery follows the first ASEV radar shipset handed over in June 2025 and supports the two ships’ planned commissioning in Japan in 2027 and 2028.
Lockheed Martin’s VP of Multi-Domain Combat Solutions, Chandra Marshall, described the event as a “successful on-time delivery of all equipment for the second ASEV shipment.”
The handover “showcases the speed at which we are delivering to our customers in Japan, while demonstrating the maturity and scalability of the SPY-7 radar,” Marshall added.
It was carried out under a Direct Commercial Sale arrangement facilitated by Mitsubishi Corporation.
Missile Defense
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is acquiring two ASEVs designed primarily for ballistic missile defense, particularly against North Korean threats.
Its core features include Lockheed Martin’s Aegis combat system — an automated command-and-control and weapons system — and the SPY-7 radar.
The SPY-7 radar is a solid-state system with advanced detection and tracking capabilities, capable of tracking multiple targets simultaneously and supporting intercepts against ballistic missiles, aircraft, and hypersonic threats.
In 2024, Tokyo contracted Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to construct the first warship and Japan Marine United Corporation for the second vessel.
Each vessel is 190 meters (623 feet) long and 25 meters (82 feet) wide, with a standard displacement of 12,000 tons.
The ASEV is bigger than the country’s Aegis Maya-class guided-missile multi-mission destroyers, which measure 170 meters (557 feet) long, 21 meters (69 feet) wide, and have an 8,200-ton standard displacement.
