US clears Hawkeye E-2D aircraft for India

The US government cleared yet another high technology system for sale to India, the E-2D aircraft for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and battle management.

The US Navy has programmed for 75 E-2D aircraft, which is an all-weather, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft designed to extend early warning surveillance capabilities.  Acquisition cost per aircraft is estimated to be $235 million. Logistics analysts predict another $50 billion in MRO Sustainment costs spread over a 30-year life span.

Analysis

The US government cleared yet another high technology system for India, the shipboard capable Hawkeye E-2D aircraft for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and battle management. The clearance has been described by diplomatic sources as a fall-out of the ''successful'' visit of secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and the signing of the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) of military equipment being supplied or sold by the US to India.  

India is the second country, after the UAE, to be cleared by the US state and defence departments for sale of this sophisticated system.  The US navy has sanctioned $432 million for trials of the aircraft, currently underway at the naval air station Patuxent River in Maryland.  The naval systems command based there provides engineering and testing support for new naval systems and weapons.

The Hawkeye E-2D has been under the US government's consideration for India for some time. In fact, in 2007, Pentagon sources in Washington indicated the aircraft was being cleared, but apparently the previous version, Hawkeye E-2C, was eventually offered to which the Indian navy said ''no'' in informal discussions.

Indian navy officers had witnessed the capabilities of the Hawkeye E-2C but told the US officials that as the equipment India buys would be used for years, it must be the best and the latest with future capability insertion potential. Future aircraft carriers of the Indian navy would also have to be equipped with catapult launching systems.

The aircraft is being manufactured by Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading US player in aerospace, warships, missiles, combat radars and electronic warfare systems.  The US Navy has programmed for 75 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) aircraft, which is an all-weather, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft designed to extend early warning surveillance capabilities.  Acquisition cost per aircraft is estimated to be $235 million. Logistics analysts predict another $50 billion in MRO Sustainment costs spread over the 30-year life span of the E-2D AHE.

The initial operating capability for the E-2D AHE changed from April 2011 to October 2014 due to budget cuts in fiscal year 2009 and a change in the program’s definition of initial operating capability.  The program changed initial capability from having a fleet squadron ready for testing to having a fleet squadron ready for operational deployment.

The E-2D AHE program has made progress in completing flight testing, particularly with respect to the radar system.  Approximately 60 percent of the planned test points have been completed, with the remaining 40 percent scheduled for completion before initial operational test and evaluation in October 2011.  Program officials plan to utilize both development aircraft and the first pilot production aircraft for mission systems testing to ensure testing is completed on time.