Download or read book The Eyes of the Fleet: An Analysis of the E-2C Aircraft Acquisition Options written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The E-2C Hawkeye is the U.S. Navy's all-weather, carrier-based airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft. Additional missions for which the E-2C is used include surface surveillance coordination, strike and interceptor control, search and rescue guidance, and communication relay. It is an integral component of the carrier air wing. The basic E-2C model is a relatively old design, having joined the fleet in the early 1970s. However, it has been improved several times, and the most current version, the Hawkeye 2000 (HE2000) now in production, represents the fifth E-2C model. The current production model adds a sensor networking system known as cooperative engagement capability (CEC), which provides all members of the network (ideally all members of the carrier battle group) with a real-time combined radar/identification friend or foe (IFF) picture of the tactical air environment. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) is under contract to deliver 21 of these aircraft to the Navy. The first of these aircraft was delivered in October 2001, and the final one is scheduled to arrive in 2006.