USS Pinckney starts second modernization period in San Diego, the first U.S. Navy ship to get the SPY-6(V)4 radar

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) has begun the second phase of its Destroyer Modernization 2.0 (DDG MOD 2.0) upgrade at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, in a Depot Modernization Period that the U.S. Navy describes as the first to install both the SPY-6(V)4 radar and new High Efficiency Super-Capacity (HESC) air conditioning plants.

The announcement was published on 22 October 2026 by the U.S. Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maritime (PAE Maritime), the organisation that is responsible for delivering surface ships to the fleet. Pinckney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.

What the work involves

The focus of this second availability is the installation of the SPY-6(V)4 radar, which will be fully integrated with Aegis Combat System Baseline 10. According to PAE Maritime, the combination is meant to bring substantial improvements to the ship’s sensing and combat capability.

Modern radars and combat systems draw a great deal of electrical power and give off a great deal of heat. For that reason the same availability also fits the U.S. Navy’s new HESC air conditioning plants, which are meant to support the “significant electrical and thermal needs” of the next-generation systems, in the words of the release.

Capt. Tim Moore, the program manager for DDG MOD 2.0, said the effort by all stakeholders had “finally brought us to the point of execution”. He said that when the work is finished, Pinckney will rejoin the fleet with what he called the most comprehensive multi-spectral integrated sensor suite designed to keep maritime superiority for decades.

A split-start programme

DDG MOD 2.0 uses what the U.S. Navy calls a “Split Start” approach. Instead of doing all upgrades in a single yard period, installations are phased so that industry partners and the U.S. Navy can learn from each stage before the next one begins.

Pinckney has already been through the first stage. It completed a so-called 1.5 DMP availability in 2024 and was the first warship to receive the SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) suite, together with sponson modifications. After that work the destroyer deployed to the Pacific and the Middle East, which, according to the release, validated the advanced warfare capabilities in contested operational environments before the ship returned home.

Who is in charge

PAE Maritime describes itself as the single accountable organisation for delivering surface ships to the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy says this centralised structure is meant to give leaders wider scope and greater authority, so that acquisition speed and discipline follow what the warfighter needs. The release does not give a completion date or a cost for the Pinckney availability.

For readers who follow naval modernization, the case is a useful marker. Earlier on Geopolitiki we reported on the arrival of the Future USS Patrick Gallagher, last Flight IIA Arleigh Burke destroyer, reaches Norfolk, the last ship of that sub-class; Pinckney shows how the U.S. Navy intends to keep older Arleigh Burke hulls relevant by upgrading their sensors, electronic warfare and cooling rather than only building new ships.