E-2 Hawkeye

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E-2 Hawkeye
Image:Hawkeye.png
Description
Role	Airborne early warning, command and control
Crew	5 (2 pilots, 3 naval flight officers - combat information center officer, air control officer, radar operator)
Manufacturer	Northrop-Grumman
Dimensions
Length	57 ft 7 in	17.56 m
Wingspan	80 ft 7 in	24.58 m
Height	18 ft 4 in	5.58 m
Wing area	700 ft²	65 m²
Weights
Empty	37,678 lb	17,090 kg
Loaded	lb	kg
Maximum takeoff	51,569 lb	23,391 kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines	2 × Allison T56-A-425 or -427 turboprops
Power	2 × 5100 hp (-427)	2 × kW
Performance
Maximum speed	375 mph	604 km/h
Combat range	miles	km
Ferry range	1,605 mi	2,583 km
Service ceiling	30,800 ft	9,390 m
Rate of climb	2,515 ft/min	767 m/min
Wing loading	72.7 lb/ft²	355 kg/m²
Avionics
Avionics

The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an all-weather, aircraft carrier-based tactical Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft nicknamed Hummer in reference to the sound of its turboprop engines.

In United States service, the Hawkeye provides all-weather airborne early warning and command and control functions for the carrier battle group. Additional missions include surface surveillance coordination, strike and interceptor control, search and rescue guidance and communications relay. An integral component of the carrier air wing, the E-2C uses computerized sensors to provide early warning, threat analyses and control of counteraction against air and surface targets. It is a high-wing aircraft with stacked antennae elements contained in a 24 foot (7.3 m) rotating dome above the fuselage.

The continuous improvements in early airborne radars by 1956 led to the concept of an airborne early warning and command and control aircraft. The first aircraft to perform this mission was the Grumman E-1 Tracer (a variant of the S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft), which saw service from 1954 to the 1970's. The E-1's successor, the E-2 Hawkeye, was the first carrier-based aircraft designed from the outset for the all-weather airborne early warning and command and control function. Since replacing the E-1 in 1964, the Hawkeye has been the "eyes of the fleet." Since its combat debut during the Vietnam conflict, the E-2 has served the US Navy around the world. Hawkeyes directed F-14 Tomcat fighters flying combat air patrol during the two-carrier battle group joint strike against terrorist-related Libyan targets in 1986. More recently, E-2Cs provided the command and control for successful operations during the Persian Gulf War, directing both land attack and combat air patrol missions over Iraq and providing control for the shoot-down of two Iraqi MiG-21 aircraft by carrier-based F/A-18s in the early days of the war. E-2 aircraft also have worked extremely effectively with U.S. law enforcement agencies in drug interdictions.

The original E-2C, known as the Group 0, became operational in 1973 and has been through several upgrade programs since then. The first of these was the E-2C Group I which replaced the older APS-125 radar and T56-A-425 engines with the improved APS-139 and T56-A-427. This version was soon followed by the further improved Group II which now featured the APS-145 radar. The Group II has been incrementally upgraded with new navigation systems, displays and computers cumulating in the E-2C Hawkeye 2000 variant (sometimes referred to as Group III, although the term is no longer used as an official designation). The Hawkeye 2000 features the APS-145 radar with a new mission computer and CIC (Combat Information Center) workstations (Advanced Control Indicator Set or ACIS), and carries the US Navy’s new CEC (cooperative engagement capability) data-link system. It is also fitted with a larger capacity vapor cycle avionics cooling system. A variant of the Group II with the upgrades to the mission computer and CIC workstations is referred to as the MCU/ACIS. Some Group II aircraft have had their 1960's vintage computer-processors replaced by a mission computer with the same functionality but built using more modern computer technology. This is referred to as the GrIIM Repr (Group II Mission Computer Replacement Program, pronounced "grim reaper").

Hawkeye 2000s first deployed in 2003 aboard the USS Nimitz with VAW-117 “Wallbangers” and CVW-11. The US Navy Hawkeye’s are now being upgraded with eight bladed props as part of the NP2000 program, the first squadron to cruise with the new propellers was VAW-124 “Bear Aces”.

The latest variant, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, is currently under development. It will feature an entirely new avionics suite, including a new radar (with an electronically-scanned array), radio suite, mission computer, flight management system, improved engines and the ability to refuel in-flight. The E-2D will include provisions for either pilot to act as a Tactical 4th Operator, and have access to the full range of mission functions available to the CIC crew. First flight is expected in 2007, with IOC in 2011.

The Hawkeye is also active with the French Navy's Aéronavale, Taiwan, Mexico, the Israeli Air Force, the Republic of Singapore Air Force, the Japanese Self Defense Air Force, and the Egyptian Air Force. It is also being considered to replace the Sea King ASaC.7 for the Royal Navy's CVF project, although it's CTOL configuration puts it at a disadvantage compared with the Merlin and Osprey.