Lockheed Martin, working with Northrop Grumman, completed flight testing of the Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder upgrade for the US Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye at Syracuse, New York, on April 21.
The DREXR upgrade replaces the existing Exciter and Receiver components with a compact, single-box solution designed to improve radar performance and operational longevity for the E-2D fleet. The recent flight tests validated key capabilities such as wideband transmit and receive, independent transmit per radar element, and software-defined waveform features, with radar data collected for mission analysis.
"The successful DREXR flight tests demonstrate our commitment to keeping the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye at the forefront of airborne early warning and battle management," said Rick Cordaro, vice president of Lockheed Martin Radar and Sensor Systems.
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The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye serves as the primary airborne early warning and command platform for the US Navy, providing detection, tracking, and engagement coordination in combat scenarios. The DREXR upgrade aims to enhance situational awareness and speed up decision-making for commanders tasked with defending carrier groups.
The US Navy currently operates 86 E-2 aircraft across C and D variants, with additional airframes on order to strengthen its carrier air wing capabilities.
The E-2D platform uses the APY-9 radar, an integrated sensor suite, and a mission computer to link air, sea, and joint forces in coordinated operations. Lockheed Martin states that the new DREXR component will help sustain day-one interoperability and operational readiness as the threat environment evolves.
