Japan wants AN/SPY-6 for its Aegis Ashore installations

Reuters reported that Japan has requested to buy the Raytheon AN/SPY-6 active electronically scanned array air and missile defense 3D radar for its proposed Aegis Ashore installations.

Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex Romania
By Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex Romania) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Three sources told Reuters that so far, Washington has been unwilling to export the radar – still under development – to Japan.

Japan is said to have observe the radar while it was under testing. The new radar will allow the SM-3 interceptors to hit their targets at longer range compared to the existing AN/SPY-1 radar.