PARIS AIR SHOW, Le BOURGET, France, June 16, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems Sector (ISS) has delivered the last new-production Group II Hawkeye aircraft to the U.S. Navy. The aircraft was officially accepted by the service approximately six weeks ahead of schedule.
"I'm very proud of our response to our customer -- products delivered on or ahead of schedule, at or below cost -- and that's both new production and modified, overhauled and upgraded aircraft," said Philip A. Teel, sector vice president, ISS Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare (AEW&EW) Systems business area. "The production expertise and experience in St. Augustine, Fla., backed up by our top team in Bethpage, has and continues to achieve much. What better way to end the Group II Hawkeye production line and transition to the Hawkeye 2000."
The company has manufactured 36 new Group II E-2C Hawkeyes for the Navy and two for France, which will receive its third Group II procured under the Hawkeye 2000 multiyear program to keep its inventory consistent.
The first of the next-generation Hawkeye 2000's will be delivered to the U.S. Navy in October 2001. While the two configurations share the same radar, the Hawkeye 2000 boosts its command and control and network-centric warfare capabilities with a powerful new commercial off-the-shelf mission computer, new Advanced Control Indication Set workstations, integrated satellite communications, the new Cooperative Engagement Capability and other enhancements. The Navy has contracted to buy 21 Hawkeye 2000's under a multiyear procurement contract.
The company is also involved in advanced development of the follow-on to the Hawkeye 2000. The Advanced Hawkeye design features an all-new radar with a hybrid, electronically scanned array antenna that delivers the twin benefits of 360-degree coverage and enhanced target detection and tracking capabilities in high-clutter environments. Advanced development hardware has already been built and tested and a test aircraft is being modified to flight test the system. With other enhancements planned, the Advance Hawkeye will not only deliver significant improvements in its AEW&EW capability, but also add new ones to support theater missile defense operations.
Northrop Grumman's ISS, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. ISS has the capabilities to design, develop, integrate, produce and support complete systems, as well as airframe subsystems, for airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft, early warning aircraft, airborne electronic warfare aircraft and air combat aircraft.
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