All the team's basic designs, including the new radar, mission computer and workstations had been improved and Northrop Grumman can now complete production of the two test aircraft.

Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector is performing the work as prime contractor under a $2 billion system development and demonstration contract from the Navy.

"The E-2D is not an evolution of the Hawkeye family, even though it is the sixth generation of this system," said Tim Farrell, vice president of Airborne Early Warning Programs at Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.

"It is a revolutionary design. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye concentrates battle-management, theatre-air-missile-defense and multiple sensor-fusion capabilities in one platform, while enabling the use of the most advanced technologies from the commercial and military worlds as they are developed, when they are needed.

"That is a huge technological accomplishment that was only possible because we have a remarkable team of companies, and the successful critical design review confirms that," Farrell said.

Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems, Syracuse, N.Y., serves as the principal radar-system supplier and is teamed with Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore and Raytheon's Space & Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif. BAE Systems, Greenlawn, N.Y., is responsible for the identification friend-or-foe system. L-3 Communications Randtron Antenna Systems, Menlo Park, Calif., is developing the UHF electronically-scanned array antenna.

Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division, Woodland Hills, Calif., part of the company's Electronic Systems sector, will provide the new, integrated tactical cockpit for the E-2D.

Work on the Advanced Hawkeye aircraft formally began in December 2001. The Advanced Hawkeye was designated E-2D by the Navy earlier this year; and the first test aircraft will fly in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The Navy's current plan is to buy 75 E-2D aircraft to help meet its network-centric warfare and information-operations goals as outlined in its Sea Power 21 Vision. Initial Operational Capability is scheduled for 2011.

related report
E-10A Multi-Sensor Command-and-Control Aircraft Program Concludes Platform Design Review
Melbourne FL (SPX) Nov 24 - The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman-led team's E-10A multi-sensor command-and-control aircraft program successfully completed its critical platform design review last week.

The review was intended to ensure all platform design requirements have been completely identified, and that the initial design by the customer/contractor team reflects those requirements. Northrop Grumman, which leads the industry E-10A weapon system integration team, hosted a series of meetings at its Melbourne facility leading up to the one-week review.

"Through a series of incremental design reviews culminating in this event, the team has confirmed the platform initial designs and analyses meet the requirements," said Wayne Stratford, program director for Northrop Grumman's E-10A Platform integrated product team.

"We can now move forward into detail design activities to support a final design review and begin the aircraft modification effort."

The program's first airframe, a Boeing 767-400ER, was identified as the testbed aircraft and is currently in engineering development. The Boeing Company will deliver the basic, unmodified aircraft to the Melbourne facility in December 2007.

"This review completes a major program milestone and shows that the E-10A platform team is on track and moving forward," said Stratford.

Government officials from the Air Force's E-10A system program office and system management office, the joint test force, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center and the Defense Contract Management Agency attended the platform design review meetings.

Industry participation included the E-10A weapon system integration team, comprised of Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Raytheon Company as well as the Northrop Grumman/Raytheon multi-platform radar technology insertion program (MP-RTIP) team.

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