Taiwan requests six E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes
February 8, 2025
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has requested the supply of six Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from the United States. These would replace or augment Taiwan’s five remaining E-2K Hawkeyes, and the Hawkeye lost on 25 November 2022, in a landing accident.
Taiwan received four E-2Ts in 1995, and these were subsequently upgraded to E-2K (‘Hawkeye 2000’) standards between 2010 and 2013, and two additional E-2Ks were purchased from Northrop Grumman in April 2006. The upgrade included a new NP2000 eight-bladed propeller system with reduced vibration and better maintainability.
The Hawkeye 2000 is the ‘fifth generation’ of the production E-2C Hawkeye variant, and incorporates significant enhancements in data management, with an open architecture COTS central mission computer, new COTS operator workstations and operator interfaces, greater connectivity, and situational awareness. It was optimised to support the US Navy’s evolving Theater Air and Missile Defense mission. The Hawkeye 2000 leveraged the previous Group II baseline fully integrated system, an AN/APS-145 radar system, improved identification friend/foe (IFF) system, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), a global positioning system (GPS) and the Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigational System (CAINS) II navigation system.
The E-2D incorporated a new avionics suite, improved engines, a new ‘glass cockpit’ and air-to-air refuelling capability. The E-2D is equipped with an advanced AN/APY-9 AESA radar that provides superior multiple target detection and tracking capabilities and an ability to detect small and highly manoeuvrable targets.
If approved, Taiwan could leverage the ‘hot’ Northrop Grumman Hawkeye production line. Three French Hawkeyes now in build are expected to be delivered in 2027, with five additional Japanese aircraft – on top of the original order of 13 – due for delivery in 2028.
In March 2024 Northrop Grumman and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) announced a partnership to collaborate on a possible upgrade of Taiwan’s existing Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) fleet to E-2D standards.
