Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Northrop Grumman has unveiled E-2C Hawkeye reliability and maintainability (R&M) improvements to bring the aircraft's subsystems in line with the Hawkeye 2000's new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) avionics suite.
The company is taking advantage of a 1999 $1.3 billion multi-year procurement deal with the US Navy, for 21 new Hawkeye 2000s, to update many of the E-2C's outdated systems. Ken Tripp, Northrop Grumman AEW business development manager, says: "This has come to fruition because we know we'll be building aircraft over time."
R&M enhancements planned for the Hawkeye 2000 include a satellite communications system, a modular main power distribution box with 80% fewer parts and a repackaged two-box fault reporting module replacing a five-box system dating back to the early 1970s.
Northrop Grumman, in addition, will fit the Hawkeye 2000 with Lockheed Martin's ALQ-217 electronic support measures (ESM) system. According to Tripp, this promises to offer an eight-to-ten times improvement in time between failure and weigh one-third less than today's Litton ALR-73 ESM.
The Hawkeye 2000 will retain the existing Group 2 standard aircraft's Rolls-Royce Allison T56-A-427 engines but will be fitted with Hamilton Sundstrand eight-blade propellers in place of the present four-blade units, which are no longer in production. The R&M improvements will be incorporated into and validated by a third modified Hawkeye 2000 test aircraft, due to fly in July next year.
Development testing of the Hawkeye 2000's core systems - the mission computer upgrade, advanced control indicator set and co-operative engagement capability - is under way with the first two aircraft. USN technical evaluation is due to start in July and operational evaluation in October. Northrop Grumman will deliver the first new aircraft late next year. with initial operating capability targeted for the end of 2002.
Northrop Grumman is working to submit a study by July on post-Hawkeye 2000 improvements.
Source: Flight International
