First Test Aircraft To Fly In Late 2007

Northrop Grumman Corporation told ANN Thursday the company, in conjunction with the US Navy, successfully completed the critical design review of the E-2D Advance Hawkeye aircraft. All the team's basic designs, including the new radar, mission computer and workstations have been improved, and Northrop Grumman can now complete production of the two test aircraft.

"The E-2D is not an evolution of the Hawkeye family, even though it is the sixth generation of this system," said Tim Farrell, vice president of Airborne Early Warning Programs at Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems. "It is a revolutionary design. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye concentrates battle-management, theatre-air-missile-defense and multiple sensor-fusion capabilities in one platform, while enabling the use of the most advanced technologies from the commercial and military worlds as they are developed, when they are needed."

Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector is performing the work as prime contractor under a $2 billion system development and demonstration contract from the Navy.

Additionally, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems, Syracuse, NY, serves as the principal radar-system supplier and is teamed with Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore and Raytheon Company's Space & Airborne Systems, El Segundo, CA. Several other companies are also involved in the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye project. 

Work on the Advanced Hawkeye aircraft formally began in December 2001, and was designated as the E-2D by the Navy earlier this year. Northrop Grumman said the first test aircraft will fly in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The Navy's current plan is to buy 75 E-2D aircraft to help meet its network-centric warfare and information-operations goals as outlined in its Sea Power 21 Vision. Initial Operational Capability is scheduled for 2011.

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.northropgrumman.com