Germany Equips F127-Class Frigates With SPY-6(V)1 Radar System
Germany has selected Raytheon’s advanced AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar for all eight of its upcoming F127-class frigates. The deal is being processed under a U.S. Foreign Military Sales contract and makes Germany the first foreign customer for the SPY-6 system. It covers not only the radar units but also extensive engineering support to integrate the SPY-6 into the frigates’ design. With this upgrade, the German Navy’s new ships will receive a powerful multi-mission sensor suite to improve air and missile defense.
The F127-class frigates will be the German Navy’s next-generation air-defense ships. It is 160 meters long and can displace approximately 10,000 tons. Eight vessels are planned to replace the aging Sachsen-class frigates. Each ship will carry an Aegis-compatible combat system, dozens of Mk 41 vertical-launch missile cells and a large mission bay for helicopters or unmanned vehicles. The F127s are intended to contribute to ballistic missile defense and provide protection against aircraft and cruise missiles for the first time.
Raytheon’s AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar is a powerful active electronically scanned array (AESA) sensor. It uses four fixed panels, each containing 37 radar modules, to achieve full 360-degree coverage. Its gallium-nitride transmit/receive modules make it extremely sensitive, enabling the frigate to track many targets at once – from fighter jets and drones to cruise and ballistic missiles. The SPY-6 family is already in service on seven U.S. Navy ship classes, and Raytheon describes it as “the most advanced, most tested maritime radar in the world.” Germany’s purchase covers not only the radar arrays but also the integration and adaptation work needed to fit them into the F127 hulls and combat system.
The F127s will have a much sharper situational picture with SPY-6 on board. The radar’s sensitivity means Germany’s frigates can detect stealthy or hypersonic threats at long range. The frigates will add sea-based protection against hypersonic and ballistic attacks and bolster the alliance’s collective defense architecture. Germany aims to begin integration testing by 2028 and the first SPY-6-equipped F127s arriving in the early 2030s. This upgrade gives the German Navy a powerful multi-mission radar and enables faster and more informed decision-making at sea.