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2015-08-01

Northrop Grumman, US Navy conduct tests on E-2D

Northrop Grumman along with the US Navy have successfully conducted the critical design review (CDR) for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aerial Refuelling (AR) system.

“The AR team continues to put outstanding effort into bringing this much needed capability to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye,” said Captain John Lemmon, Program Manager, E-2/C-2 Airborne Tactical Data System Program Office (PMA-231). “Aerial Refuelling will enable the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to provide longer on-station times at greater ranges.”

Under a US$226.7 million engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) contract awarded in 2013, Northrop Grumman is designing, developing, manufacturing and testing several sub-system upgrades necessary to accommodate an aerial refuelling capability.

Approval of this critical milestone demonstrates design maturity and acknowledgement that the program is ready to transition to the build/test phase. CDR also moves the program closer to installing this capability on new production aircraft. The E-2D aircraft already in service will be retrofitted with the aerial refuelling capability.

“Achieving this critical milestone moves the program one step closer to fielding this much needed capability to the war-fighter,” said Jane Bishop, Vice President, E-2/C-2 programs, Northrop Grumman.

Capable of managing a reliable communications network between widely dispersed nodes, the aircraft is designed to conduct airborne strikes, land force support and rescue operations.

The upgrades include modifications to the fuel system to accommodate a refuelling probe, long endurance and field-of-view-enhancing seats, formation lights to improve visibility and air space orientation between the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and its refuelling tanker and flight control system software enhancements to improve aircraft handling during refuelling operations.

The first test aircraft in this series will be sent to Florida at the end of this year to be installed with prototype AR equipment and instrumentation for flight test.

Installation of the developmental Aerial Refuelling subsystem and flight-test instrumentation onto the E2D test aircraft will commence in the second quarter of 2016 at Northrop Grumman’s St. Augustine manufacturing facility. Flight-testing for the AR-equipped E-2D test aircraft is planned for 2017, with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) expected in 2020.

“Aerial Refueling will enable the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to expand its reach and persistence, which will in turn lead to more valuable and timely information for decision makers within the carrier strike group,” said Lemmon.

The extended range of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye would provide enhanced maritime security against modern threats over broad expanses of open water, littoral areas and densely cluttered terrain. In March, the navy deployed its first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) aircraft carrier•

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