Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

The E-2 Hawkeye is an all-weather, carrier-capable airborne early warning aircraft that Grumman designed for the United States Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s to replace the piston-engined E-1 Tracer. It was the first aircraft designed specifically for the early warning role rather than adapted from another airframe. Powered by two turboprops, it has been upgraded through the E-2B, E-2C and E-2D versions, mostly in radar and communications equipment. The first prototype flew on 21 October 1960, the E-2A entered Navy service in January 1964, and variants have been in continuous production since 1960, the longest production run of any carrier-based aircraft.