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E2 Hawkey
The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
is the United States Navy's all-weather, aircraft
carrier-based tactical Airborne Early Warning
(AEW) aircraft. The
Hawkeye provides all-weather airborne early
warning and command and control functions
for the carrier battle group. Additional missions
include surface surveillance coordination,
strike and interceptor control, search and
rescue guidance and communications relay.
An integral component of the carrier air wing,
the E-2C uses computerized sensors to provide
early warning, threat analyses and control
of counteraction against air and surface targets.
It is a high-wing aircraft with stacked antennae
elements contained in a 24 foot (7.3 m) rotating
dome above the fuselage.
The continuous improvements
in early airborne radars by 1956 led to the
concept of an airborne early warning and command
and control aircraft. The first aircraft to
perform this mission was the Grumman E-1 Tracer
(a variant of the S-2 Tracker anti-submarine
aircraft), which saw service from 1954 to
the 1970's. The E-1's successor, the E-2 Hawkeye,
was the first carrier-based aircraft designed
from the outset for the all-weather airborne
early warning and command and control function.
Since replacing the E-1 in 1964, the Hawkeye
has been the "eyes of the fleet."
Since its combat debut during the Vietnam
conflict, the E-2 has served the US Navy around
the world. Hawkeyes directed F-14 Tomcat fighters
flying combat air patrol during the two-carrier
battle group joint strike against terrorist-related
Libyan targets in 1986.
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