The first Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft with aerial refuelling capability, BuNo 169066, was delivered to the US Navy in September. The aircraft was delivered to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120) ‘Greyhawks’ at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, on September 9, 2019.
Marking the arrival of the initial aircraft, Rear Admiral Roy Kelley, Commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, said: “This is an important day for naval aviation as we continue to increase our capabilities and maintain our competitive edge in the skies. This capability will extend the endurance of Hawkeyes, increasing the Navy’s battlespace awareness and integrated fire control – both from the air and the sea.”
VAW-120 is a Hawkeye Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) attached to the US Navy’s Airborne Command & Control and Logistics Wing (ACCLW) and Commanding Officer, Commander Scott Wastak, said: “Aerial refuelling capability is a game changer for the E-2D community and future operations in the high-end fight. We will now begin to train instructor pilots and refuel with several different Navy and Air Force tanker aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets.”
Northrop Grumman flew the first E-2D upgraded with the AAR capability in December 2016 and the US Navy will transition two operational fleet E-2D squadrons to the upgraded aircraft by 2020.
The manufacturer has delivered 37 Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to the US Navy and in April 2019, it signed a further production contract for an additional 24 aircraft, valued at $3.2 billion, to be manufactured by the end of 2026.
The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) is also acquiring 13 E-2Ds and took delivery of its first aircraft in June 2019. On September 26, 2019, the US Department of Defense also announced that Northrop Grumman had been awarded a USD1.4 billion contract for the production of the final nine JASDF E-2D aircraft. Nigel Pittaway
