Test Program Flying Out Of SGJ

Northrop Grumman told attendees at Farnborough this week its E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System Development and Demonstration Program has successfully completed its 125th test flight, flying out of the Northrop Grumman East Coast Manufacturing and Flight Test Center in St. Augustine, FL.

"This is a significant milestone for the E-2D program," said Jim Culmo, vice president of Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management Command and Control Programs for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "Since taking its first flight in August 2007, the joint Northrop Grumman and US Navy Advanced Hawkeye team have been working hard in preparing for the upcoming Operational Assessment (OA).

Conducted by a US. Navy test squadron, OA is an assessment of the potential effectiveness of the E-2D in a mission environment. Successful completion of OA is one of the critical steps the program must go through prior to a U.S. Navy decision on low-rate initial production.

Northrop bills the E-2D as the next generation of airborne early warning systems while representing a two-generational leap in radar technology, capable of providing the US Navy with enhanced airborne command and control and expanded surveillance.

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com/