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U.S. Navy Awards E-2D Aircraft Contract

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — In a decision that will save the federal government about $369 million,  Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded a $3.643 billion multi-year procurement contract to Northrop Grumman Corp. on June 30 for 25 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The five-year contract covers the purchase of full-rate production (FRP) E-2D…

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The E-2 Hawkeye At Fifty

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-2 Hawkeye’s entry into Fleet operations.  Over the course of those fifty-years the aircraft has radically changed and grown in capabilities and mission focus, while visually remaining much the same as the first E-2A .  From Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq,  it has been a part…

Steeljaws Airborne Again?
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Steeljaws Airborne Again?

Arriving in the mail today — the E-2D IOT&E patch.  IOT&E (Initial Operational Test & Evaluation) is a critical milestone event for the E-2D program.  Conducted by VX-1, operating out of Pax River, IOT&E provides an opportunity to test the aircraft and weapons system in a more dynamic environment than what was present for developmental…

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Fleet Forces Command Flies E-2D Advanced Hawkeye With VAW-120

…And then writes about it. This past week I spent a day with the “Greyhawks” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron ONE TWO ZERO (VAW-120) – the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for Hawkeye and Greyhound aircraft. As an FRP squadron, VAW-120 is tasked with training pilots, naval flight officers (NFOs), and aircrew and maintenance personnel…

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IAMD Acquisition Updates: E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and SM-3 Blk IIB

Couple of developments in the last week with regards to major systems in our Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) plans for the coming decades: Item: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded concept definition contracts to three teams competing for the SM-3 Block IIB advanced interceptor (aka: Next Generation Aegis Missile (NGAM)). Designed to…

E-2D Update: Progress Report and Hawkeye BMD?

A program update on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye was provided today at the AEW and Battle Management conference in Amsterdam. Providing the update was Northrop-Grumman’s VP for AEW &BM C2 programs, Jim Culmo and Hawkeye/Greyhound Program Manager, CAPT Shane Gahagan, USN. Culmo noted that the company is on-track to deliver three pilot production E-2Ds to…

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E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Milestones

Couple of major milestones for the Advanced Hawkeye program announced today: Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP): An Acquisition Decision Memorandum, signed June 11 by the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, gave the Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program approval to enter low-rate initial production. Having demonstrated that it has met all acquisition…