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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

E-2C AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING (AEW) HAWKEYE 2000

	Navy ACAT ID Program 75 modified E-2Cs produced Total program cost (TY$) $604M Average unit cost (TY$) $8M Full-rate production 3QFY00 Prime Contractor Northrop-Grumman

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

Hawkeye 2000 is an umbrella term for multiple improvements to the Group II (Joint Tactical Information Distribution System [JTIDS] and APS-145 radar equipped) E-2C. The improvements include addition of Global Positioning System (GPS), new vapor cycle system, UHF Satellite Communications (SATCOM), replacement of the current mission computer with DEC Alpha commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) computer (mission computer upgrade [MCU)]), COTS workstation based Advanced Control Indicator Station (ACIS) display positions, and integration of airborne Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) capability.

Hawkeye 2000 modifications contribute to dominant battlespace awareness for the theater commander. The integration of CEC, UHF SATCOM, and higher capacity MCU supports the exchange and fusion of on- and off-board intelligence, sensor, command and control (C2) information. The addition of CEC will allow the E-2C to participate fully in the netted CEC data link, and the UHF SATCOM supports beyond-line-of-sight reception and transmission of warning, surveillance, and C2 information. The addition of GPS will support precise target and friendly force location and synchronized operations through a common time and navigation reference. These improvements will provide the E-2C, as an integral C2 component of carrier battle group and joint Service operations, with increased information superiority and more robust active participation in the integrated, in-depth theater air and missile defense to achieve full dimensional protection.

Hawkeye 2000 is the most recent of a series of modifications that improve the capabilities and sustainability of the E-2C airborne early warning platform. The modification of the aircraft will occur incrementally and not in a block upgrade. However an E-2C must have the new vapor cycle system, MCU, and ACIS hardware and supporting software integrated before the airborne CEC equipment is installed.

The Hawkeye 2000 TEMP was disapproved by OSD in April 1996. The Navy was requested to provide more information on the many Hawkeye 2000 improvements and their interdependencies. A draft MCU TEMP was submitted in March 1997 for OSD coordination and returned with comments on 23 April 1997. The final MCU TEMP is now in OSD coordination. A separate TEMP Annex to the CEC Program TEMP was also circulated in draft in July 1997 for comment.

The Operational Test Plan for OT-II-A was approved by DOT&E in April 1997, and the evaluation was conducted by COMOPTEVFOR from May 19 to 31, 1997. The objective of OT-IIA was to assess progress toward integration of full E-2C functionality into the new mission computer and the ACIS displays. This assessment supported a Low Rate Initial Production decision in July 1997 to support a comprehensive OT of the MCU. The COMOPTEVFOR Report on OT-IIA assessed the MCU as potentially operationally effective and potentially operationally suitable. The MCU provides significant increase in processing capability and data storage with significant reduction in hardware volume and weight, and reduced cooling and power requirements. It should be noted that there was a limited MCU capability for OT-IIA; of sixteen software functional configuration areas, 1 was complete and 5 had partial capability and the remainder no capability. The most important of these sixteen was tracking and it was the completed function.

In June 1997, PMA-231, the Program Office, received approval to change the acquisition strategy and supporting test program. Two planned LRIPs were combined for a July 1997 decision to acquire and integrate 12 new mission computers into the E-2C. OT-IIB, designed to support the second LRIP in early CY98, was canceled.

Based on OT-IIA, COMOPTEVFOR indicated the MCU was potentially effective and suitable based on the limited capability demonstrated. DOT&E considered MCU capability too limited to provide a basis for assessing effectiveness and suitability potential. After release of more mature software builds, an Operational Test is scheduled for July 1998. While DOT&E considers any assessment premature at this point, it is anticipated that sufficient functionality will exist for the OT to provide a basis for assessing the effectiveness and suitability.

The greatest risks to the program are the rehosting of all Group II E-2C functionality into the MC using Ada and improving MC stability from that demonstrated in OT-IIA. During OT-II-A the MCU had an 8.5-hour MTBOMF with a requirement of 30.69 hours for the system. Finally, the stability of the MCU and the ability of the E-2C to accept the CEC software- and hardware-intensive integration poses a large risk in the FY00 timeframe.