GRUMMAN E-2C HAWKEYE

Israel Defence Force name: Daya (Kite)

TYPE:

• Shipborne and land-based airborne early warning and control aircraft.

PROGRAMME:

• First flight of E-2A prototype on October 21, 1960.
• Total of 59 production E-2As produced. By end of 1971, 51 were updated to E-2B.
• Two were converted to TE-2A trainers and another two converted to E-2C prototypes.
• First flight of E-2C prototype on January 20, 1971, with production starting in mid-1971.
• First flight on production E-2C was on September 23, 1972.
• A total of 186 ordered, with 4 E-2Bs remanufactured for Taiwan. More than 170 were delivered by the end of 1997.
• The newly produced E-2Cs are equipped with AN/APS-145 radar, which replaces the AN/APS-120/125/138/139.
• The new Lockheed Martin AN/APS-145 radar tracks more than 2000 targets and operates at longer ranges. Also has improved jamming resistance and sharper, fully automatic/optimized overland detection.

VERSIONS:

E-2C:

• Current service and production version.

TE-2C:

• Training model based on the E-2C.

E-2T:

• Conversion of E-2B for Taiwan with AN/APS-138 radar and electronic warfare upgrades.

Hawkeye 2000:

• On December 1994, Grumman received US$155 million contract to redefine E-2C as the Hawkeye 2000.
• Major changes include mission computer upgrade (MCU), with new equipment based on Raytheon's Model 940, similar to the family of hardware used by E-8C Joint STARS.
• Trials of upgraded mission computer began on January 24, 1997 and were completed in mid-1997.
• Another E-2C will serve as a testbed for satcom, vapour-cycle cooling upgrade and Navy's Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC) package.
• New mission computer is ½ the weight of current, 1/3 the volume and offers 15 times the processing power.
• Other improvements include government-furnished advanced control indicator set (ACIS), satellite-based voice and data communications capability and inclusion of equipment and systems that form part of Navy CEC package.
• MCU and ACIS will both make use of commercial off-the-shelf technology and incorporating open architechture and should remain effective and viable until the Navy's new Common Support Aircraft becomes available in about 2015.

DESIGN FEATURES:

• E-2C can cover naval task force in all weathers flying at 9150 m (30,000 ft) and can detect and assess approaching aircraft in excess of 300 n miles (556 km; 345 miles).
• AN/APS-145 radar sweeps 6 million cu mile envelope and simultaneously monitors surface ships; long-range automatic target track initiation and high-speed processing enable each E-2C to track more than 2,000 targets simultaneously and automatically and control more than 40 intercepts.
• Randtron Systems AN/APA-171 antenna housed in 7.32 (24 ft) diameter radome, rotating at 5 to 6 rpm above rear fuselage; antenna arrays in rotodome provide radar sum and difference signals and IFF.
• Conventional airframe with nose-tow catapult attachment, arrester hook and tail bumber.
• Parts of tail made of composites to reduce radar reflection, wings fold hydraulically on skewed hinges to lie parallel to fuselage.
• Pneumatic boot de-icing on wings, tailplane and fins. Spinners and blades incorporate electric anti-icing.

POWER PLANT

• Two 3,803 kW (5,100 ehp) Allison T56-A-427 turboprops, driving Hamilton Standard Type 54460-1 four blade fully feathering reversible-pitch constant-speed propellers.
• These have foam-filled blades which have a steel spar and glass fibre shell.
• T56-A-427 engines installed after 1989 are 15% more efficient compared with -425 model.

ACCOMMODATION

• Normal crew of five, consisting of pilot and co-pilot on flight deck, plus ATDS Combat.
• Information Center (CIC) staff: combat information centre officer, air control officer and radar operator.

AVIONICS

Comms:

• AN/AIC-14A intercom

Radar:

• Lockheed Martin AN/APS-145 advanced radar processing system (ARPS) with fully automatic overland/overwater detection capability.

Flight:

• Lockheed martin AN/ASN-92 CAINS carrier aircraft inertial navigation systems, GPS, AN/ASN-50 heading and attitude reference system, Collins AN/ARA-50 UHF ADF, AN/ASW-25B ACLS, GEC-Marconi standard central air data computer, ASM-400 in-flight performance monitor, Honeywell AN/APN-171(V) radar altimeter.

Mission:

• GEC-Marconi Hazeltine AN/APA-172 control indicator group with Lockheed Martin enhanced (colour) main display units, Litton OL-77/ASQ computer programmer with Lockheed Martin enhanced high-speed processor, Litton AN/ALR-73 passive detection system, AN/ARC-158 UHF datalink, AN/ARQ-34 HF datalink and JTIDS Class 2 HP terminal.