Lockheed Martin has successfully completed flight testing of a new radar subsystem upgrade for the US Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
Working alongside Northrop Grumman, the company evaluated the Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder (DREXR) system during recent flight trials, confirming its performance as part of ongoing efforts to modernize the Navy’s airborne early warning fleet.
The upgrade enhances the aircraft’s ability to detect, track, and process threats while improving support for carrier strike group operations. DREXR replaces legacy exciter and receiver components with a consolidated single-box solution, offering improved radar capability and extending platform service life.
Testing included validation of wideband transmit and receive functions, independent radar element control, and software-defined waveform capabilities.
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye continues to serve as a central node in the Navy’s battle management and airborne early warning architecture, enabling a unified operational picture across air and maritime domains.
Modernization efforts have accelerated in recent years to maintain the platform’s effectiveness against evolving threats. In January, the Navy awarded BAE Systems a $62 million contract to establish a service depot for the aircraft’s Identification Friend or Foe system at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego, focusing on testing, diagnostics, and repairs for the AN/APX-122A system.
Earlier, in September 2024, Fuse Integration secured a $16 million contract to provide router systems that transition the aircraft’s external networking to software-defined connectivity.
