Improved Rotodome Technology for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the Navy's latest all-weather, carrier-based aircraft, providing tactical battle management functions, airborne early warning and control for the Carrier Strike Group and Joint Force Commander.  A rotating radome, or rotodome, sits atop the E-2D aircraft and houses critical RF sensor systems.

The Hawkeye rotodome is fabricated with glass reinforced composites to withstand in-flight aerodynamic loads; however this causes unintended aberrations and distorting antenna patterns.  The Navy’s Hawkeye, Advanced Hawkeye and Greyhound Program Office (PMA-231) looked to SensorMetrix to improve the RF performance.

Working with E-2D’s Prime Contractor Northrop Grumman, and L3-Randtron – the prime rotodome integrator, SensorMetrix has developed an understanding of the structural and electromagnetic issues and created novel solutions enabling critical performance gains.