Confessions Of An E-2C Hawkeye Radar Operator - Confessions Of An E-2C Hawkeye Radar Operator.jpg

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...radar-operator

It may not be glamorous, but the largely misunderstood Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is
arguably the most important aircraft deployed aboard America's supercarriers. It
acts as the high-flying eyes of the carrier strike group and provides critical
air traffic control and combat management for carrier air wing aircraft, as well
as communications relay and other functions. Retired Naval Flight Officer Craig
"Slim" Picken worked in the inhospitable confines of the Hawkeye's fuselage
during one of the most interesting times in modern military history, rattling
off intercept orders to missile-laden Tomcats and coordinating the ballet of
U.S. Navy carrier-borne tactical aircraft as they plied their deadly trade over
Iraq.

So come with us as we follow "Slim" into the tight confines of the Hawkeye's
belly, take a seat alongside him in front of one of the glowing radar consoles
and get ready to get to catapult off on a voyage that will make you understand
the Navy's vaunted airborne early warning and control plane like never before.

The Reality

Had Top Gun filmmakers been accurate in their account, the opening scene with
Maverick would have been handled completely differently.

Under the powerful radar and watchful eyes of its crew, the E-2 Hawkeye, flying
at 27,000 feet, would have spotted the incoming “bogeys” from more than 150
miles away. Maverick’s Tomcat would have been quarterbacked with a real-time
picture, accompanied with data-link updates and a familiar voice helping with
the “target sorts.”

A surprise 2nd bogey? Not a chance!

Cougar wouldn’t have been jumped and would have kept his wings to fight another
day.

Today, the entire dogfight might have be quarterbacked by the E-2 without its
controllers even saying a word.

But Top Gun was a movie about fighter pilots, not the cast working tirelessly
behind the scenes to support them. The E-2 Hawkeye is like the Offensive
Coordinator on an NFL team. He sits high up near the press box and well out of
sight from the crowd, but very much in the game. His knowledge, God’s eye view,
situational awareness, headset, and microphone are his weapons.

Yes, he is out of sight, but make no mistake who is calling the offensive plays.




Long article but definitely worth the read if you want to understand the
importance of E-2s...BONUS?....lots of pictures

more at
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...radar-operator




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