ONR Historical Timeline 1980-1990

The Aegis combat system—fielded aboard Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers as well as ships in the navies of Japan, Spain, Norway, Republic of Korea and Australia—consists of three primary elements: the SPY-1 phased-array radar, the Aegis weapons control system, and the command and decision system. The combat system elements function in a highly integrated manner to provide area-wide surveillance, detection and engagement of airborne threats. ONR research made major contributions to the Aegis system, including the traveling wave tube and signal processing software of the radar, the computer hardware and software in the command and control system, and the rocket motors and warheads of the Standard Missile.