DDG MOD 2.0 took a major step forward as USS Pinckney became the first U.S. Navy destroyer to enter Phase Two of the program, initiating work to add SPY-6 radars and associated systems to bolster defense against evolving threats.
USS Pinckney (DDG 91), homeported in San Diego, began its second-phase availability at a General Dynamics NASSCO drydock following an eight-and-a-half month deployment to the Middle East and Pacific. The ship leads a cohort slated to receive Raytheon’s AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar and related equipment. According to the Navy, Pinckney demonstrated several advanced warfare capabilities during its recent deployment.
The effort is part of a $149.6 million contract awarded to General Dynamics and is scheduled for completion by September 2028, according to program officials.
“The collective effort by all stakeholders has finally brought us to the point of execution. Upon Depot Modernization Period completion, USS Pinckney will rejoin the Fleet equipped with the most comprehensive multi-spectral integrated sensor suite designed to maintain maritime superiority for decades to come,” said Capt. Tim Moore, program manager for DDG MOD 2.0, in a media release.
DDG MOD 2.0
DDG MOD 2.0 is a key modernization initiative for Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. Phase one equips selected ships with the SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III, followed by installation of the new SPY-6 radars. The ships are also receiving Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Baseline 10, a core element of the radar upgrade that enables simultaneous air and ballistic missile defense.
USS Pinckney (DDG 91), USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), and USS Halsey (DDG 97) have each completed major milestones or Depot Modernization Periods under the program, according to the Navy.
Program officials said these four ships are serving as pathfinders for future DDG MOD 2.0 availabilities that will combine the electronic warfare and radar upgrades into a single yard period. That approach will begin with USS Sterett (DDG 104), Capt. Moore said.
The move to a single modernization period is intended to reduce time out of service by consolidating work, allowing the Navy to complete both SEWIP Block III and SPY-6 installations during the same availability rather than requiring a second shipyard return.
The upgrades arrive as the surface fleet faces sustained demand in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. Destroyers have increasingly been tasked with protecting carrier strike groups, commercial shipping, and other naval assets against advanced missile and drone threats.
Recent combat operations in the Middle East have stressed ship defenses, including one instance, reported by officials, in which a drone closed to within a mile of a deployed ship off the coast of Israel. That deployment tempo has paralleled other regional movements, such as when USS Theodore Roosevelt in Yokosuka marked a rare carrier visit.