The US Navy has cleared a major design milestone for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Block II upgrade, moving it toward flight testing and hardware integration.
The US Navy has cleared a major design milestone for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Block II upgrade, moving the command-and-control aircraft toward flight testing and hardware integration.
The E-2/C-2 Airborne Command & Control Systems Program Office and Northrop Grumman completed the critical design review for the Block II upgrade in May.
This review marks the end of the design phase and clears the program to proceed to aircraft retrofits and flight testing, with the first Block II-configured E-2D flights planned for fiscal 2029.
Block II builds on the E-2D's Delta System Software Configuration 6 and will add a new cockpit architecture, increased computing capacity, an Open Mission Systems framework, and cybersecurity improvements.
The open architecture is intended to make it easier to replace obsolete components and introduce new technologies without relying on proprietary systems.
Modernized cockpit and flight systems are also expected to reduce pilot workload and improve situational awareness, while the upgraded computing and software infrastructure will support faster insertion of new capabilities.
Other E-2D Modernization Efforts
Block II is the latest in a series of upgrades aimed at keeping the E-2D relevant as its mission systems and networks evolve.
The E-2D is designed to provide airborne early warning, surveillance, and command and control for US Navy forces. The service describes the aircraft as a carrier-based system that extends a strike group's defensive perimeter and supports functions including target detection, interceptor control, communications relay, and air and missile defense.
In May, Northrop Grumman introduced augmented reality, virtual reality, AI, and machine learning into the Hawkeye’s maintenance and training programs.
Earlier, in April, Lockheed Martin completed flight testing of its Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder upgrade for the E-2D. Developed with Northrop Grumman, the radar subsystem is designed to improve the aircraft’s ability to detect, track, and process threats for carrier strike group operations.
