The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $62-million contract to set up a new service depot for the E-2D Hawkeye aircraft’s Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system.
The maintenance center, which will be added to the current depot line at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego, California, will provide testing, troubleshooting, diagnostic, and repair capabilities for the AN/APX-122A IFF interrogator system.
It will help reduce lifecycle costs and turnaround time, while enhancing mission readiness and platform availability, according to Damon Brady, director of Tactical Systems at BAE Systems.
Boasting over 80 years of IFF experience, BAE is one of the main, long-standing suppliers of IFF systems and related technology to various US Navy platforms.
The company clinched a $15-million deal in 2023 to deliver its AN/UPX-50(C) interrogator for the service’s vessels.
In 2025, it secured a $30-million contract to upgrade the AN/APX-123A(V) common transponder tech that will replace existing IFF transponders across the service’s drones, ships, aircraft, and helicopters.
E-2D Hawkeye
Manufactured by Northrop Grumman, the E-2D Hawkeye is an advanced carrier-based airborne early warning and control aircraft for the US Navy and other foreign operators, including France and Japan.
Powered by two Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A turboprop engines, the Hawkeye can reach a top speed of over 300 knots (555 kilometers/345 miles per hour) and a service ceiling of 37,000 feet (11,277 meters).
It detects and tracks aircraft and ships at ranges exceeding 550 kilometers (341 miles) with its AN/APY-9 radar made by Lockheed Martin.
Meanwhile, the aircraft’s IFF system offers operators faster decision-making and enhanced situational awareness to distinguish friendly aircraft from potential threats.
The system is manufactured at BAE’s facilities in Greenlawn, New York, and Manassas, Virginia.
