The US Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at $104.6 million to manufacture advanced radar systems for Canada under a foreign military sales agreement. The deal covers production of the company’s Solid-State SPY Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, known as SPY-7, reinforcing defense cooperation between Washington and Ottawa.
The SPY-7 radar is a multifunction sensor designed primarily for naval operations, providing long-range detection and tracking capabilities of up to 3,000 miles. The system delivers high-resolution performance in challenging weather conditions and is capable of operating continuously in demanding maritime environments. It supports a wide range of missions, including air defense, ballistic missile defense, surface surveillance, and weapons fire control.
Built with a scalable and adaptable architecture, SPY-7 can also be configured for land-based applications and supports ongoing software upgrades to address evolving threats. Work on the contract will be carried out by Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems division at its Moorestown, New Jersey, facility, with production expected to be completed by January 2032. The program will be overseen by the US Naval Sea Systems Command.
While the Pentagon’s announcement did not specify the end platform, the SPY-7 radar is widely expected to equip Canada’s future Surface Combatant ships. The radar was selected in 2020 for the Canadian Surface Combatant program, which will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates. Canada plans to build up to 15 River-class warships, with the first vessels currently under full-rate construction and scheduled to enter service throughout the 2030s.
