The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Department of the Navy (Navy) effectively managed deficiencies identified during operational testing, to achieve the performance capabilities for the E‑2D Advanced Hawkeye modifications.
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy has the authority and accountability for all acquisition functions and programs in the Navy. The E‑2/C‑2 Airborne Command & Control Systems Program Office manages the E‑2D Advanced Hawkeye program. The E‑2D Advanced Hawkeye is an all‑weather, twin‑engine, carrier‑based, airborne early warning command, control, and surveillance aircraft. The E‑2D program was approved to enter system development in 2003, and the Navy received the first aircraft in 2007. The Navy has fielded 62 E‑2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft and is funded for a total of 80 aircraft by 2026 for a total program cost of $22 billion.
The Naval Air Systems Command contracted with the Northrop Grumman Corporation to perform software and hardware modifications in a series of phases between 2014 and 2027. As of February 2024, four modification phases had been tested and completed.