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Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

History of the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

The E-2 Hawkeye family serves aircraft carrier battle groups (primarily in the US Navy) and is deployed as an all-weather airborne command and control battle space management system. The Hawkeye entered service in 1964, replacing the aging E-1 Tracer family (the main AEW aircraft in service with the US Navy and another Grumman design - albeit based on the S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft). At this point, the future of the E-2 series in U.S.

Navy service appears secure as the program evolves to meet the new challenges of waging air combat over the ocean. The system is also used by several other US-friendly countries.

In terms of design, the E-2 series featured a large radome on the fuselage, a four-blade (now eight-blade) propeller system, and a four-blade tail. The wings were fitted with twin Allison turboprops and mounted high on the fuselage. The nose is short to provide maximum visibility for both pilots.

The airframe accommodates a crew of five, including two pilots, three naval officers, a radar operator, an air controller and a combat information center officer.

The Hawkeye initially entered service as the W2F-1, but was changed to the more common E-2 shortly after 1962. Several modifications were made to the existing crew for crew trainer duties as well as to develop the model, resulting in the C-2 Greyhound. The Type B appeared with aerial refueling and improvements to the computer system, as well as a redesigned tail. The final E-2 model became the E-2C series, combining all the improvements of the B model with improved electronics, improved radar, and a more powerful engine. The E-2C Hawkeye 2000 is a further improved version of the E-2C.

The E-2 was named during the Vietnam War and has been involved in every major U.S. conflict since, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The plane was also called in to provide humanitarian assistance during Hurricane Katrina to coordinate search and rescue operations.

The E-2 series was gradually updated as the face of warfare changed - after all, the system was originally developed in the 1950s and went into service over the next decade. The latest version of the E-2 Hawkeye series is the E-2D model series, which first flew in 2007.

The E-2 series may also be known by the unofficial names "Hummer" and "Super Fudd." The former has to do with the humming generated by the engine, while the latter gets stuck on the E-2 as the system replaces the E-1 - a system known as "Willy Fudd".