The hazardous operating conditions of the E-2D are felt justified; the airframe has immense strategic value as the functional brain of the carrier strike group

The Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye doesn’t look like it would offer aviators too much a challenge—certainly not relative to the sleek, supersonic fighters in the US Navy inventory. But the turboprop E-2D, with its bulbous radome on the top of the fuselage, is widely considered one of the most difficult and unforgiving aircraft to fly in the entire US inventory.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2014 (E-2D Advanced Hawkeye IOC; E-2 family first flown/service in 1964)
• Number Built: ≈75 E-2D airframes procured for the US Navy; several hundred E-2s across all variants historically
• Length: 57 ft (17.4 m)
• Wingspan: 80 ft (24.4 m); foldable wings for carrier storage
• Weight: ~24,000 lb (10,900 kg) empty; Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW): ≈56,000 lb (≈25,400 kg)
• Engines: Two Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A turboprops (~5,100 shp each)
• Top Speed: ≈350 knots (≈403 mph, ≈648 km/h) max; cruise ≈300 knots (≈345 mph, ≈556 km/h)
• Range: Ferry/long-range ~1,500 nmi (≈1,726 mi, ≈2,778 km); on-station endurance measured in many hours (mission-dependent)
• Service Ceiling: ≈34,000 ft (≈10,363 m)
  Loadout: No weapons carriage as primary role; mission systems include large dorsal rotodome (~24-ft radome) housing AN/APY-9 radar, electronic surveillance, CEC/Link-16 datalinks, and multiple mission consoles for battle-management and sensor fusion
• Aircrew: Typically 5 (2 pilots + 3 mission systems/operators)

The E-2 Hawkeye Is Harder to Fly than It Looks!

The E-2D is powered by two Rolls-Royce T-56-A-427A engines producing 5,100 shaft horsepower each. Capable of cruising at 300 knots, the E-2D is not especially powerful. With a massive 24-foot radar dome and high-mounted wings, the airframe generates significant drag and limited forward visibility.

Fortunately, the E-2D is equipped with advanced fly-by-wire to assist the pilots in managing torque and stability. Yet the pilot workload remains high. Weighing in at 24,000 pounds empty, with an 80-foot wingspan, the E-2D trades agility for endurance. 

The E-2D is tasked with lifting the fog of war. From an airborne command post, the E-2D coordinates air, sea, and land assets across hundreds of miles. The AN/APY-9 radar can detect threats over the horizon, tracking low-flying cruise missiles, stealth aircraft, and surface vessels. And conversely, the carrier strike group fully depends on the E-2D, would be blind without it. 

But the strategic benefits of the E-2D come at a price. The E-2D operates from aircraft carriers—a notoriously difficult environment from which to operate an airframe. The catapult launches and arrested landings are difficult for any aircraft. But especially so for the bulky and underpowered E-2D. Unlike an F/A-18, which can punch full afterburners to accelerate out of dangerous situations quickly, the E-2D has no such luxury. Pilots instead are forced to make high speed approaches with terrible visibility. Accordingly, the margin for error is razor thin. 

Carrier takeoffs are similarly hazardous. The E-2D’s heavy radar dome and crew weight push the airframe to the limits during catapult launches. If an engine falters before the pilot reaches 140 knots, there is no recovery. 

The E-2D’s Challenges Are Worth It to the Navy

Pilot and copilot are tasked with a constant workload inside the cockpit. The rudimentary flight controls pale compared to the nuanced sophistication of modern glass cockpits. Twin engines force the pilots to manage engine synchronization, where even the slightest asymmetry between turboprops can induce violent yaw. And of course, all of this is compounded by the pitching of the carrier deck at sea, or by foul weather. 

Yet the hazardous operating conditions of the E-2D are felt justified; the airframe has immense strategic value as the functional brain of the carrier strike group, fusing data from satellites, ships, and fighters into a single tactical picture. And while new automated platforms are emerging, making surveillance and data fusion easier and more comprehensive, the E-2D is still deeply important to the Navy’s situational awareness, and will be for decades yet; Expect the E-2D to remain relevant through the 2040s, possibly into the 2050s, thanks to its immense value in providing command, control, and battle management for carrier strike groups. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU. 

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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