Photo By Chief Petty Officer Thomas Gooley | 180930-N-EA818-0308 NORTH SEA (Sept. 30, 2018) Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate...... read more read more
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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is a 100,000-ton floating airfield, with a primary mission of launching jets anywhere, anytime. From interoperability training with partner nations to actual combat operations, the pilots of these jets need to have the best possible understanding of the areas in which they fly. Luckily, there is one plane whose sole purpose is to scout ahead and prepare them for what lies beyond the horizon. Aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) – standing tall above all others – that plane is the E-2D Hawkeye.
E-2Ds are assigned to the “Seahawks” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 126, from Norfolk, Virginia. Since the squadron’s commissioning in 1969, Sailors and pilots alike have been working with the Hawkeye to be the eyes of the sky. They have flown multiple operations over many decades including Operation Desert Storm, as well as rescue and relief operations for Hurricane Katrina.
“Our biggest asset is our radar,” said Lt. j.g. Stephen Moss, a VAW-126 pilot. “Before the Hawkeye, the Navy didn’t have the communication and radar capabilities that we have now.
Different planes tried to facilitate some radar advancements; however the Hawkeye came and revolutionized that by including radar picture, communications suites and the ability to talk to various assets at the same time.”
E-2D Hawkeyes have eight-bladed, turbofan propellers and twin engines, giving it over 300 knots of air speed. While it is not as fast as a jet, it gets better fuel flow, meaning it can stay airborne long enough to complete their mission.
“Our job is two-fold really,” said Moss. “It’s to make sure no one is getting too close to the ship, but it’s also making sure that the airspace is safe for our fighters and other people to operate.”
Lt. j.g. Brian Morrill is one of the E-2D Hawkeye naval flight officers (NFOs) for VAW-126. NFOs are charged with working the weapons systems and managing the radar and communication suite. They report to surface, air, and subsurface warfare commanders depending on the type of contact identified by radar or visual identification.
“We talk to [pilots] who are actually seeing something,” added Morrill. “We filter that information and then make a recommendation to the warfare commanders, who ultimately make the decision of how to handle a contact.”
Lt. Nicholas Corey, assigned to the “Knighthawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, says the E-2D Hawkeyes play a vital role in the completion of fighter jets’ mission.
“The E-2D Hawkeye and the Hawkeye community provide tactical control in both the air-to-air and air-to-surface environments so that we can be more informed,” said Corey. “They have a 360-degree view of what’s going on, while we, as pilots, only know what’s going on in front of us, so that helps us work more as a team to see more of the big picture.”
Currently operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Harry S. Truman will continue to foster cooperation with regional allies and partners, strengthen regional stability, and remain vigilant, agile and dynamic.
For more information about Truman, visit www.facebook.com/USSTruman or www.navy.mil/local/cvn75/.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2018 13:19 |
| Story ID: | 299116 |
| Location: | U.S. 6TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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