Singapore has opened talks with the US Navy on options for sustaining the city state’s Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft (AEW) for the final five years of their service lives. The talks are also examining disposal options for the aircraft.
Singapore has already acquired at least six Gulfstream Vs as its preferred replacement platform and is expected to convert the bulk of these to carry the Israel Aircraft Industries Phalcon active phased array radar.
John Beaulieu, business development manager for the USN’s PMA 231 programme office, said the Hawkeye talks began on 22 February.
Speaking at the show, he said: “We anticipate that they would want to keep their aircraft flying for at least the next five years; how do we go from here to there, since they do have group zero aircraft that are rapidly facing obsolescence issues.”
Beaulieu says the navy has approached the talks in “receiving mode, to see what exactly the nature of their plan is, if they have one”.
Separately, Beaulieu says that the USN is continuing to discuss a potential Indian navy requirement for six E-2C Hawkeye 2000 configuration aircraft, although those talks are now focusing on shore-based options. The talks also include an extended range E-2C configuration that incorporates a non-folding wing, allowing the fitting of additional internal tanks in the outboard wing section.
Tom Trudell, AEW business development manager with Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, said that the plug would provide an additional three hours endurance if retrofitted into existing aircraft, adding that detailed design studies are underway.
Source: Flight International
