Navy orders advanced shipboard radar systems

U.S. Navy leaders are ordering 12 advanced defensive shipboard radar systems from Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore under an $83.9 million contract. Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington are asking Northrop Grumman to provide 12 AN/SPQ-9B radar systems to enable Navy surface warships to detect and track fast low-flying, anti-ship missiles with low radar cross sections in heavy radar clutter. The high-resolution, X-band AN/SPQ-9B radar will be integrated with the ships' fire-control systems.