Transatlantic Movement: 5 US Navy E-2D Hawkeyes Heading East

In the last few hours, we have monitored an interesting and massive ferry flight across the Atlantic Ocean. A formation consisting of no less than five US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2D “Advanced Hawkeye” airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft left Bangor International Airport (Maine, KBGR) heading east, with a likely first stop at Lajes Air Base (LPLA) in the Azores.

Providing in-flight refueling and support for this cell are two USAF Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers.

Tracking Details: The formation is operating under the following callsigns:

• Tankers: VINYL61 (Reg. 18-46039) and VINYL62 (Reg. 20-46076)
• Hawkeyes: MAZDA11, MAZDA12 (Reg. 168077), MAZDA13, MAZDA14 (Reg. 169869), and MAZDA15.

The Squadron Mystery In the early stages of the flight, analyzing the HEX codes and database associations from tracking sites, the aircraft appeared to belong to VAW-126 “Seahawks”. However, as often happens in the world of aviation OSINT, automatic transponder information can be misleading. Specialized sources actually suggest that the entire cell is currently being operated by VAW-121 “Bluetails”.

Towards the Middle East: The Drone Hunters If Lajes is merely a technical stopover, what is the final destination of such a significant deployment?

It is highly likely that these E-2Ds are headed towards the Persian Gulf / Red Sea area to support US or coalition naval operations in what is currently a highly volatile theater. In this specific scenario, the presence of the Advanced Hawkeyes proves to be a much more valuable and effective asset compared to the traditional and older E-3 Sentry (AWACS).

The E-2D is equipped with the state-of-the-art Lockheed Martin AN/APY-9 radar (operating in the UHF band), specifically designed to excel in NIFC-CA (Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air) operations. Thanks to its hybrid mechanical and electronic scanning technology, this radar boasts an outstanding ability to detect targets with a very low radar cross-section (low-RCS) flying at low altitudes.

In a context where the main threat to allied shipping and infrastructure comes from swarms of kamikaze drones (UAVs) and cruise missiles, the sensors of the E-2Ds currently represent the most effective air defense tool available to the American fleet to provide timely situational awareness and guide interceptors.