U.S. Navy receives first E-2D Hawkeye with aerial refueling capability

The U.S. Navy Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120), also known as “Greyhawks”, receive the first improved version of E-2D Advanced Hawkey airborne early warning surveillance aircraft with aerial refueling capability.

The first E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, with an installed aerial refueling retrofit kit, will join the “Greyhawks” fleet, increasing the Navy’s battlespace awareness and integrated fire control — both from the air and the sea.

The upgrades installed to support aerial refueling include probe and associated piping, electrical and lighting upgrades, and long endurance seats that will enhance field of view in the cockpit and reduce fatigue over longer missions.

The aerial refueling capability will allow the E-2D to provide longer on-station times at greater ranges, extending its mission time to better support the warfighter.

The E-2D gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness, especially in the area of information operations delivering battle management, theater air and missile defense, and multiple sensor fusion capabilities in an airborne system.

With a two-generation leap in radar sensor capability and a robust network enabled capability and now with aerial refueling capability, the Advanced Hawkeye will deliver critical, actionable data to joint forces and first responders. These advances provide warfighters with the necessary situational awareness to compress the time between initial awareness and active engagement.