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E2 Hawkeye
More recently, E-2Cs
provided the command and control for successful
operations during the Persian Gulf War, directing
both land attack and combat air patrol missions
over Iraq and providing control for the shoot-down
of two Iraqi MiG-21 aircraft by carrier-based
F/A-18s in the early days of the war. E-2
aircraft also have worked extremely effectively
with U.S. law enforcement agencies in drug
interdictions.The
original E-2C, known as the Group 0, became
operational in 1973 and has been through several
upgrade programs since then. The first of
these was the E-2C Group I which replaced
the older APS-125 radar and T56-A-425 engines
with the improved APS-139 and T56-A-427. This
version was soon followed by the further improved
Group II which now featured the APS-145 radar.
The Group II has been
incrementally upgraded with new navigation
systems, displays and computers cumulating
in the E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade (sometimes
referred to as Group III). The Hawkeye 2000
features the APS-145 radar with and a new
mission computer and carries the US Navy’s
new CEC (cooperative engagement capability)
data-link system. Hawkeye 2000s first deployed
in 2003 aboard the USS Nimitz with VAW-117
“Wallbangers” and CVW-11. The
US Navy Hawkeye’s are now being upgraded
with eight bladed props as part of the NP2000
program, the first squadron to cruise with
the new propellers was VAW-124 “Bear
Aces”.
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