Lockheed Martin delivers advanced APY-9 radar for US Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft

News, US February 5, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Leading defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin has delivered the 75th APY-9 advanced radar for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The advanced sensors of APY-9 radar enable the U.S. Navy to maintain its information-gathering capabilities.

The AN/APY-9 radar is a vital part of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program for the U.S. Navy’s Surveillance and Theatre Air and Missile Defense (TAMD) missions. The APY-9 radar enhances the airborne command and control capabilities of the U.S. Navy and extends surveillance capabilities for E-2D aircraft.

The radar is an all-weather, most advanced, and capable airborne early warning sensor in the world. It is designed to detect small, highly maneuverable targets in dense littoral and overland environments.

The latest variant of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, equipped with APY-9 radar, is at the forefront of technological capability. The Northrop Grumman-built E-2D aircraft is considered the eyes of the U.S. naval fleet due to its ability to simultaneously watch over air, land, and sea.

The radar offers full range, continuous coverage for unparalleled situational awareness and its Electronic Sector Scanning enables increased track update rates in any 90° sector.

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft — *^{E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) Aircraft. (Image Credit: Northrop Grumman)}*

According to the Lockheed Martin statement, “Any time a Navy carrier has aircraft airborne, there is an APY-9 radar at work, guarding the United States and its allies.”

Vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Radar & Sensor Systems business, Chandra Marshall said, “As the primary sensor for the E-2D, the APY-9 radar has a long legacy of providing agile deterrence for enhanced 21st-century security. Our primary focus is to bring our military men and women home safely, and the APY-9 sets that bar for all other AEW radars.”

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have been collaborating on the E-2D aircraft for more than two decades. “The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye platform delivers critical, actionable data to enable decision dominance for joint forces and first responders. These advances provide militaries with the necessary situational awareness to shorten the time between initial awareness and active engagement.”

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the latest version of the E-2 platform. The E-2D provides the U.S. Navy with broad area coverage, which enhances broader range capabilities. It provides all-weather airborne early warning and command and control capabilities for all aircraft-carrier battle groups. The aircraft is also used for land and sea surveillance and features aerial refueling capabilities.

The aircraft’s command and control capability transforms it into a versatile multi-mission platform. It can effectively coordinate simultaneous missions during a single flight, including airborne strikes, land force support, rescue operations, establishing a robust communications network between widely dispersed nodes, and providing support for drug interdiction operations.

U.S. Navy E-2D Hawkeye aircraft — ^{A U.S. Navy Northop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the Atlantic Ocean on February 18, 2019. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy)}

According to Northrop Grumman, “The E-2D gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness, especially in the area of information operations delivering battle management, theater air, and missile defense, and multiple sensor fusion capabilities in an airborne system.”

The U.S. Navy is the primary operator of the E-2D Hawkeyes and funded about 80 aircraft in the current program. Besides U.S. forces, Japan has purchased 18 E-2D airborne early warning aircraft, and France has purchased three Hawkeyes.

E-2D Hawkeye Specifications

Length: 57 ft. 8.75 in
Wingspan: 80 ft. 7 in
Ceiling: 37,000 ft.
Weight (Empty): 40,484 lbs
Speed: 300+ knots
Power Plant: Two Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A Turboprop engines (5100 shaft horsepower each)
Sensors: Fully integrated open architecture system
Crew: Five; two pilots and three mission systems operators with the option for the co-pilot to act as the fourth mission systems operator.