Pinckney Gets Upgraded Radar at San Diego Shipyard
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is the first Navy warship to receive the SPY-6(V)4 radar under Destroyer Modernization 2.0.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Military
USS Pinckney has entered General Dynamics NASSCO's San Diego yard to receive an upgraded SPY-6(V)4 radar system. The destroyer is the first Navy warship to receive the radar under the second phase of the Destroyer Modernization 2.0 Program.
Why it matters
The upgraded radar enables simultaneous air and ballistic missile defense, which matters for destroyers that protect carrier strike groups from missile and drone attacks. For San Diego, home to the shipyard performing the work, the upgrade keeps local naval maintenance work tied to the fleet's modernization effort.
The radar will be integrated with the Aegis Combat System Baseline 10, and the ship will also receive a super-capacity air conditioning system. The source does not give a completion date for the work.
The players
USS Pinckney
An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the first Navy warship to receive the SPY-6(V)4 radar system.
General Dynamics NASSCO
A shipbuilding and repair company operating the San Diego yard where the destroyer is being upgraded.
The details
The SPY-6(V)4 upgrade is part of the second phase of Destroyer Modernization 2.0, and the service installed the earlier SLQ-32(V)7 electronic warfare system in steps so partners could gain experience with each upgrade before the radar installation. USS Sterett will be the first ship to receive both upgrades in a single shipyard visit, which reduces time out of service.
Timeline
Pinckney completed its first upgrade period in 2024, including installation of the SLQ-32(V)7 system.
After those upgrades, the destroyer deployed in the Pacific and Middle East for almost eight and a half months.
Program Context
Pinckney's radar upgrade is the first installation under the second phase of Destroyer Modernization 2.0, which the Navy is using to add air and ballistic missile defense capability to its destroyer fleet. The approach of installing electronic warfare and radar upgrades in stages, then combining them on USS Sterett, extends that program's sequencing.
The destroyer will rejoin the fleet with an advanced sensor suite intended to counter drones and missiles. Readers tracking Navy shipbuilding can watch whether the single-visit approach used on USS Sterett shortens future upgrade timelines.
The takeaway
Upgrading radar and electronic warfare systems together in one shipyard visit can cut the time a destroyer spends out of service. That approach, first tested on USS Sterett, could shape how the Navy schedules future destroyer modernization.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Military news from San Diego.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Marine Insight.
