The E-2C Hawkeye aircraft supplied by Northrop Grumman is an all-weather airborne early warning aircraft to the naval task force.
Operating from an altitude more than 25,000ft high, the Hawkeye alerts the naval task force to approaching air threats, while also providing threat identification and positional data to fighter aircraft such as F-18 Hornets. Secondary roles include strike command and control, surveillance, the guidance of search and rescue missions, and as a relay to extend the range of communications.