DoN Awards SPY-1 Prototype, Radar Updates to Last Through Year 2060

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division and the Program Executive Office of Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) recently announced the award of the Prototyping of SPY-1 Organic Sustainment Capabilities to Kratos SRE, Inc. Kratos, a non-traditional defense contractor (NTDC), will lead the effort to strengthen radar systems for the U.S. Navy.

This new program calls on industry to deliver a comprehensive solution, starting with a prototype, that ensures the radar remains ready for today’s missions. The AN/SPY-1 radar remains one of the most critical assets in the Navy’s fleet, enabling ballistic missile defense, integrated air and missile warfare, and persistent maritime domain awareness across Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers. With many systems projected to remain in service through 2060, the Navy has prioritized building long-term, organic sustainment and depot-level support capacity to ensure uninterrupted fleet readiness.

Over the years, the AN/SPY-1 radar has gone through several upgrades, creating multiple versions of the system across the fleet. While these improvements have kept the radar effective, they’ve also made long-term maintenance and modernization more complex.

This sustainment capabilities prototype effort was awarded through the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA), a modern acquisition vehicle designed to broaden participation from non-traditional defense contractors (NTDCs). The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated in the SPY-1 solicitation, where 100% of respondents were NTDC organizations. As mission requirements grow increasingly complex, the S²MARTS OTA continues to deliver results by fostering greater competition and eliminating traditional barriers that have historically limited smaller companies from partnering with the Department of War (DoW).

Along with its ability to improve solution quality, OTAs also greatly increase speed: through S²MARTS, the SPY-1 prototype was solicited in just 180 calendar days, less than one-third of the time it takes traditional contracting methods. This expedited timeline is crucial to the success of prototypes like SPY-1 where sustainment has been unfunded for years. With traditional contracting methods, it can take years to get prototypes on contract, in which case, technology may already be outdated before the contract begins.

By streamlining access and expanding opportunities, the S²MARTS OTA is strengthening the defense industrial base, advancing innovation, and ensuring the DoW remains equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

About S²MARTS

The Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS), managed by NSTXL, is the premier rapid OT agreement vehicle for the Department of War (DoW) in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, and other critical mission areas. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division created S²MARTS to grow and engage an elite network of innovators, shorten the path to defense prototype development, and advance national security efforts.