BETHPAGE, N.Y., Nov. 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the critical design review of the E-2D Advance Hawkeye aircraft. 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 Company'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.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration enterprise with the capabilities to design, develop, produce and support fully missionized integrated systems and subsystems. Integrated Systems delivers best-value solutions, products and services in support of chosen segments within the broad market areas of battlespace awareness, command and control systems and integrated combat systems.