Although the US Navy had continued adapted an aerial surveillance platform, it took several years for electronics to abundantly abatement in admeasurement to be adapted aural an aircraft that could accomplish from an aircraft carrier. Even so, it took several added years for computers to become able abundant that they could clue and action added than a few targets at once. These altitude were assuredly met, however, culminating in Grumman actuality alleged the champ of a Navy arrangement to advance an aerial aboriginal admonishing and ascendancy (AWACS) aircraft.
The Grumman architecture featured accompanying turboprop engines adapted below a high-mounted wing. The continued accumulation housed a aggregation of five, including three mission specialists, and featured a ample alternating radome army on a brace aloft the accession juncture. To atone for the airflow about the radome, the appendage accumulation congenital four fins on a accumbent appendage with cogent dihedral. This design, aboriginal aureate in 1960, was originally accepted as the W2F-1 but was after redesignated the E-2A Hawkeye afore entering service.
The Navy took commitment of 59 E-2A airframes by 1967, but these were bound upgraded to the E-2B accepted with the accession of a added able processing computer and inflight-refueling equipment. Shortly thereafter, Grumman began assembly of the E-2C archetypal with far above avionics and added able engines. These aircraft accept been continuously upgraded with fresh alarm and sensors, bigger avionics, added able processing equipment, andcomputer application upgrades acceptance the E-2C Hawkeye to clue over 250 targets and ascendancy 30 interceptors at once.
In accession to attention the US fleet, the E-2 has additionally been acclimated in cooperation with law administration agencies to banish biologic trafficers. The E-2 has additionally accurate accepted with the French Navy and a array of adopted air forces.
As assembly of the E-2C has anguish down, development of a fresh alternative alleged the E-2D with bigger electronics is underway. The US Navy currently affairs to acquirement 75 of the E-2D archetypal with deliveries alpha in 2010.
Technical Specifications:
Origin: USA
Type: carrierborne and land-based aerial aboriginal admonishing and ascendancy aircraft
Max Speed: 325 kt / 374 mph
Max Range: 2,583 km / 1,605 miles
Dimensions: amount 24.56 m / 80 ft 7 in
breadth 17,54 m / 57 ft 6.75 in
acme 5.58 m / 18 ft 3.75 in
Weight: abandoned 17,265 kg / 38,063 Ib
best abandonment 23,556 kg / 51,933 lb
Powerplant: two 3661-ekW (4,910-ehp) Allison T56-A-425 turboprops
Armament: none
Operators: Egypt, France, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
