US Navy The E-2A entered U.S. Navy service in January 1964 and in April 1964 with
VAW-11 at
NAS North Island. Since entering combat during the
Vietnam War, the E-2 has served the US Navy around the world, acting as the electronic "eyes of the fleet". In August 1981, a Hawkeye from VAW-124 "Bear Aces" directed two
F-14 Tomcats from
VF-41 "Black Aces" in an intercept mission in the
Gulf of Sidra that resulted in the
downing of two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22s. Hawkeyes from
VAW-123 aboard the aircraft carrier directed a group of
F-14 Tomcat fighters flying the Combat Air Patrol during
Operation El Dorado Canyon, the joint strike of two Carrier Battle Groups in the
Mediterranean Sea against
Libyan targets during 1986. More recently, E-2Cs provided the command and control for both
aerial warfare and land-attack missions during the
Persian Gulf War. Hawkeyes have supported the
U.S. Coast Guard, the
U.S. Customs Service, and American federal and state
police forces during anti-drug operations. In the mid-1980s, several U.S. Navy E-2Cs were made available to the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs Service for counter-narcotics (CN) and
maritime interdiction operations. The Coast Guard produced a small cadre of
naval flight officers (NFOs), starting with the recruitment and interservice transfer of Navy NFOs with E-2 flight experience and the flight training of other junior Coast Guard officers as NFOs. A fatal aircraft mishap on 24 August 1990 involving a Coast Guard E-2C at the former
Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in
Puerto Rico prompted the Coast Guard to discontinue flying E-2Cs and to return its E-2Cs to the Navy. The U.S. Customs Service also returned its E-2Cs to the Navy and concentrated on the use of former U.S. Navy
P-3 Orion aircraft in the CN role. E-2C Hawkeye squadrons played a critical role in air operations during
Operation Desert Storm. In one instance, a Hawkeye crew provided critical air control direction to two
F/A-18 Hornet aircrew, resulting in the shootdown of two Iraqi
MiG-21s. During Operations
Southern Watch and
Desert Fox, Hawkeye crews continued to provide thousands of hours of air coverage, while providing air-to-air and air-to-ground command and control in a number of combat missions. The E-2 Hawkeye is a crucial component of all U.S. Navy
carrier air wings; each carrier is equipped with four Hawkeyes (five in some situations), allowing for continuous 24-hour-a-day operation of at least one E-2 and for one or two to undergo maintenance in the aircraft carrier's
hangar deck at all times. Until 2005, the US Navy Hawkeyes were organized into East and West Coast wings, supporting the respective fleets. However, the East coast wing was disestablished, all aircraft were organized into a single wing based at Point Mugu, California. Six E-2C aircraft were deployed by the U.S. Navy Reserve for drug interdiction and homeland security operations until 9 March 2013, when the sole Reserve squadron, VAW-77 "Nightwolves", was decommissioned and its six aircraft sent to other squadrons. During
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom all ten Regular Navy Hawkeye squadrons flew overland sorties. They provided battle management for attack of enemy ground targets, close-air-support coordination, combat search and rescue control, and airspace management, as well as datalink and communication relay for both land and naval forces. During the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, three Hawkeye squadrons (two regular Navy and one Navy Reserve) were deployed in support of civilian relief efforts including
Air Traffic Control responsibilities spanning three states, and the control of
U.S. Army, U.S. Navy,
U.S. Air Force,
U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and
Army National Guard and Air National Guard helicopter rescue units. . Hawkeye 2000s first deployed in 2003 aboard with VAW-117, the "Wallbangers" (formerly the "Nighthawks") and CVW-11. U.S. Navy E-2C Hawkeyes have been upgraded with eight-bladed propellers as part of the NP2000 program; the first squadron to cruise with the new propellers was VAW-124 "Bear Aces". The Hawkeye 2000 version can track over 2,000 targets simultaneously while also detecting 20,000 targets to a range greater than and simultaneously guide 40–100 air-to-air intercepts or air-to-surface engagements. In 2014, several E-2C Hawkeyes from the Bear Aces of VAW-124 were deployed from as flying command posts and air traffic controllers over Iraq during
Operation Inherent Resolve against the
Islamic State. VAW-120, the E-2C
fleet replacement squadron began receiving E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes for training use in July 2010. On 27 March 2014, the first E-2Ds were delivered to the
VAW-125. The E-2D achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in October 2014 when
VAW-125 was certified to have five operational aircraft. This began training on the aircraft for its first operational deployment, scheduled for 2015 aboard . The E-2D will play a larger role than that of the E-2C, with five E-2Ds aboard each carrier instead of the current four C-models, requiring the acquisition of 75 total E-2Ds. and returned to port on 23 November 2015, concluding the first operational use of the E-2D. In 2025, several E-2D Hawkeyes from the USS
Gerald Ford were deployed north of Curacao and Aruba in the Caribbean flying at 22,000 ft on 12 to 13 December 2025.
Other operators E-2 Hawkeyes have been sold by the
U.S. Federal Government under
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) procedures to the armed forces of
Egypt,
France,
Israel,
Japan,
Singapore and
Taiwan.
Egypt Egypt purchased five E-2C Hawkeyes that entered service in 1987 and were later upgraded to Hawkeye 2000 standard. One more upgraded E-2C was purchased afterward. The first upgraded aircraft was delivered in March 2003 and deliveries were concluded in late 2008. Egypt requested two additional excess E-2C aircraft in October 2007; deliveries began in 2010. They all operate in 601 AEW Brigade, Cairo-West. Egypt used the E-2C Hawkeye in a bombing operation in 2015 against ISIL in Libya.
France The
French Naval Aviation (Aeronavale) operates three E-2C Hawkeyes and has been the only operator of the E-2 Hawkeye from an aircraft carrier besides the U.S. Navy. The French nuclear-powered carrier, , currently carries two E-2C Hawkeyes on her combat patrols offshore. The third French E-2C Hawkeye has been upgraded with eight-bladed propellers as part of the NP2000 program. In April 2007, France requested the purchase of an additional aircraft. The
Flottille 4F of the French Navy's Aeronavale was stood up on 2 July 2000 and flies its E-2C Hawkeyes from its naval air station at Lann-Bihoue, deploying to the
Charles de Gaulle. They took part in operations in Afghanistan and Libya. In September 2019
Florence Parly, French
Minister of the Armed Forces, announced that three new E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes would be purchased in 2020 to replace the E-2Cs in service. In December 2024, France's first E-2D Hawkeye entered production, scheduled for delivery in 2027.
Japan On 6 September 1976, Soviet Air Forces pilot
Viktor Belenko successfully
defected, landing his
MiG-25 'Foxbat' at
Hakodate Airport, Japan. During this incident, the Japan Self-Defense Forces' (JASDF) radar lost track of the aircraft when Belenko flew his MiG-25 at a low altitude, prompting the JASDF to consider procurement of airborne early warning aircraft. Initially, the
E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft was considered to be the prime candidate for the airborne early warning mission by the JASDF. However, the Japanese Defense Agency realized that the E-3 would not be readily available due to USAF needs and opted to procure E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. The
Japan Air Self-Defense Force bought thirteen E-2C aircraft to improve its early warning capabilities. The E-2C was put into service with the Airborne Early Warning Group (AEWG) at
Misawa Air Base in January 1987. On 21 November 2014, the
Japanese Ministry of Defense officially decided to procure the E-2D version of the Hawkeye, instead of the
Boeing 737 AEW&C design. In June 2015, the Japanese government requested to buy four E-2Ds through a Foreign Military Sale. In September 2018 the
Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale of up to nine E-2Ds to Japan. A sale of up to five E-2Ds for JASDF was approved by the U.S. State Department and DSCA notified Congress on 7 March 2023. The sale includes ancillary equipment, spares and training support for an estimated $1.38 billion. The proposed five E-2Ds are in addition to the six E-2Ds Japan already has and the seven more it has on order. However, the Japanese Ministry of Defense did not reveal in its most recent proposed budget any intention to acquire more aircraft.
Mexico In 2004, three former Israel Air Force E-2C aircraft were sold to the Mexican Navy to perform maritime and shore surveillance missions. These aircraft were upgraded locally by IAI. The first Mexican E-2C was rolled out in January 2004.
Singapore from 111 Sqn on static display at Paya Lebar Air Base, 2006 The
Republic of Singapore Air Force acquired four Grumman E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft in 1987, which are assigned to the 111 Squadron "Jaeger" based at
Tengah Air Base. In April 2007, it was announced that the four E-2C Hawkeyes were to be replaced with four Gulfstream G550s which would become the primary early warning aircraft of the Singapore Air Force. On 13 April 2012, the newer
G550 AEWs officially took over duty from the former. Singapore has close ties with the Israel military which has also acquired the G550 AEW.
Israel Israel was the first export customer; its four Hawkeyes were delivered during 1981, complete with the folding wings characteristic of carrier-borne aircraft. The four examples were soon put into active service before and during the
1982 Lebanon War during which they won a
resounding victory over Syrian air defenses and fighter control. They were central to the Israeli victory in the air battles over the Bekaa Valley during which over 90 Syrian fighters were downed. The Hawkeyes were also the linchpins of the operation in which the IAF destroyed the
surface-to-air missile (SAM) array in the Bekaa, coordinating the various stages of the operation, vectoring planes into bombing runs and directing intercepts. Under constant escort by
F-15 Eagles, there were always two Hawkeyes on station off the Lebanese coast, controlling the various assets in the air and detecting any Syrian aircraft upon their takeoff, eliminating any chance of surprise. The
Israeli Air Force (IAF) operated four E-2s
Taiwan Taiwan acquired four E-2T aircraft from the US in November 1995. In April 2006, Taiwan commissioned two new E-2K Hawkeyes at an official ceremony at the
Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) base in
Pingtung Airport in southern Taiwan. The four E-2Ts were approved for upgrade to Hawkeye 2000 configuration in a 2008 arms deal. The four E-2T aircraft were upgraded to what became known as E-2K standard in two batches, the first batch of two aircraft were sent to the United States in June 2010, arriving home in late 2011; on their return the second batch of two aircraft were sent for upgrade, returning to Taiwan in March 2013.
Offers In August 2009, the U.S. Navy and
Northrop Grumman briefed the
Indian Navy on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye on its potential use to satisfy its current shore-based and future carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) requirements. The Indian Navy has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring up to six Hawkeyes. ==Variants==