Japan has requested the delivery of her first upgraded Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V) series surface vessel electronic warfare systems by 2026.
Lockheed Martin has told Armada, via a written statement, that deliveries of the two AN/SLQ-32(V) systems ordered by Japan will be completed by 2026. The company is the prime contractor for the overarching Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programme (SEWIP) Block-2 initiative. SEWIP Block-2 is a long-term programme overhauling the AN/SLQ-32(V) systems equipping an array of US Navy surface vessels.
In late October, the company revealed in a press release it had been contracted by the United States Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command to provide full rate production AN/SLQ-32(V)6 and AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 examples. The conclusion of the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Japan marks the first export success for the AN/SLQ-32(V) product family.
SEWIP Block-2 transitioned from a development programme to full rate production in 2016, the press release continued. Lockheed Martin’s written statement said that AN/SLQ-32(V)6 systems have been in low-rate initial production since 2013, with the first production examples being delivered in 2014. So far, the US Navy has ordered 165 AN/SLQ-32(V)6 and twelve AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 systems. Upgraded AN/SLQ-32(V)s will continue to equip legacy vessels as these are upgraded. New surface combatants are also receiving the AN/SLQ-32(V) such as the US Navy’s new ‘FFG-62/Constellation’ class frigates, according to open sources. Beyond the US Navy AN/SLQ-32(V) examples equip the US Coast Guard’s ‘Heritage’ class offshore patrol cutter, ‘Legend’ class national security cutter and ‘Polar Sentinel’ class polar security cutters.
Further AN/SLQ-32(V) procurements are expected via the FMS route, the company added, beyond Japan’s two systems. In Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force service, the AN/SLQ-32(V) will furnish the service’s two forthcoming Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs). Publicly available reports say that the ASEVs are cruiser-sized vessels that will primarily specialise in anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence. These ships will be outfitted with Lockheed Martin’s Aegis combat management system. The two vessels are expected to commission in 2027 and 2028.
AN/SLQ-32 configurations
The baseline Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V)1 detects and engages signals across wavebands of five gigahertz/MHz to 20 gigahertz/GHz. These wavebands were later expanded downwards to 250MHz for the AN/SLQ-32(V)2/3/4 variants. In its original form the AN/SLQ-32(V) generated decoy waveforms for jamming. These waveforms would spoof the radar seeker of an incoming anti-ship missile regarding the target’s location. The AN/SLQ-32(V)2 contains additional capabilities to detect threats emitting across Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) wavebands of 250MHz to three gigahertz. The AN/SLQ-32(V)3 configuration added a jamming capability to engage threats transmitting across a five gigahertz to 20GHz waveband. The AN/SLQ-32(V)4 configuration was designed for aircraft carriers. The AN/SLQ-32(V)5 was a jamming module added to the AN/SLQ-32(V)1/2 to enhance these systems’ jamming capabilities.
The overarching SEWIP modernisation commenced in 2002, with an initial contract (Block-1) for the upgrade awarded to General Dynamics one year later. SEWIP Block-1 mainly addressed obsolescence issues in the legacy hardware and software of deployed AN/SLQ-32(V)s. Lockheed Martin was then awarded an initial contract to outfit the AN/SLQ-32(V) with a high gain, high sensitivity antenna under SEWIP Block-1B3. SEWIP Block-1B3 improved the AN/SLQ-32(V)’s transmitted jamming power. The AN/SLQ-32(V)’s sensitivity to incoming radar signals was also enhanced via SEWIP Block-1B3. Lockheed Martin won the SEWIP Block-2 contract in 2009. This effort is transitioning legacy AN/SLQ-32(V)s to the AN/SLQ-32(V)6 status by teaming the former with the SEWIP Block-1B3 modification.
A programme of continual improvement for AN/SLQ-32(V) systems in service with US and foreign customers is expected in the future, thanks to the open architecture at the heart of the SEWIP Block-2 philosophy: “The US Navy programme of records continues with upgrades well into the next decade,” Lockheed Martin’s statement added. This is “due to the modular approach of the system (which) makes it easily upgraded to take advantage of the latest technology.”
by Dr. Thomas Withington
