U.S. Navy Can't Miss Window of Opportunity for Future X-Band Radar

In January 2022, the Federal Communications Commission auctioned off the 3.45 to 3.55GHz portion of the 5G spectrum to share with the Department of Defense for more than $22.5 billion. For weeks, the telecommunications industry was abuzz while industry analysts clamored to declare winners and losers. Not surprisingly, the usual suspects – Verizon, AT&T, Dish, T-Mobile, and others – populated the lists. But in all the excitement, perhaps the biggest winner was missed – the U.S. Navy.

FXR must be designed to combat an increasingly advanced and diverse set of threats as epitomized in recent Red Sea hostilities. And in a future fight, FXR will have to contend with a far more sophisticated adversary.

What’s more concerning than the raw numbers, however, is the technological advancements underpinning China’s modernized fleet. According to the Department of Defense, China’s Navy is, “largely composed of modern multi-role platforms featuring advanced anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-submarine weapons and sensors.”

In a document prepared for the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Office of Naval Intelligence noted, “Chinese naval ship design and material quality is in many cases comparable to [that of] USN [U.S. Navy] ships, and China is quickly closing the gap in many areas of deficiency.”

China isn’t just building up the size of its Navy, it’s making it more lethal.

In the face of this and other formidable threats, it is abundantly clear that the U.S. Navy must accelerate its own modernization, or it runs the unthinkable risks associated with business as usual.

While we wait for new ships to get built and the requisite debates on large-scale acquisition priorities to be had, there is a window of opportunity for modernizing one of the most critical technologies onboard the existing fleet. And there’s no debating the need given the threat.

That’s why FXR is so important. It’s a harbinger for how the Navy will go forward in response to these growing threats. The Navy finds itself in the unusual position of having $11.16 billion that does not require annual authorization or appropriation as part of the Spectrum Relocation Fund. It’s money in the bank. The only catch is that it must be used for FXR. And the choice is whether the Navy will take its regular acquisition path or capitalize on the unique funding circumstances to go fast.

If the Navy chooses to take that typical acquisition path, fielding of the new FXR capability could be delayed by years. But if the Navy makes the bold choice and elects to acquire FXR on an accelerated timeline, then at least a portion of the U.S. Navy ships slated to receive the new radar could have it years sooner.

It’s worth noting the significance of that timing and its correspondence to what has come to be known as the Davidson Window. Just before his departure as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander in 2021, Admiral Phil Davidson stated in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that China may attempt to retake Taiwan in this decade. Consequently, he and others urged elected and appointed leaders to take immediate action to prepare our nation for the very real possibility of the resulting high-end conflict should China make such a move.

FXR is a clear example of a targeted opportunity in which the Navy can answer that urging and modernize quickly with confidence. Here’s why: for years the Department of Defense’s Science and Technology community has invested in cutting edge research and development technologies meant to transfer to the services. This is certainly true for FXR. Additionally, streamlined acquisition approaches and revitalized rapid contracting techniques such as the Other Transaction Authority have been leveraged in recent years to speed prototypes to the warfighter.      

By capitalizing on past investments and rapid acquisition approaches, the Navy could select a contractor to develop FXR prototypes that would be suitable for delivery to the fleet before the Davidson Window closes and show all who are watching that the defense industrial base is ready to meet the challenge.

Fortunately, there is still time for the Navy to change its course and take advantage of the unique circumstances stemming from the dedicated spectrum relocation funding and the previous fruitful investments in developing foundational FXR technologies. Let’s hope they do so before the Window closes.  

Selected by the Editors of RealClearDefense