An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 banks over Naval Station Norfolk. VAW-125 will be the first squadron to deploy with the E-2D. (MC2 Ernest R. Scott / Navy) |
By Christopher P. Cavas, Navy Times Staff writer
WASHINGTON — The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has been declared to be operational, meaning that deployment training for the Navy’s newest airborne warning and control aircraft can begin in earnest.
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Advanced Hawkeye was achieved Oct. 10 when Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (VAW-125) was certified to have five operational aircraft, five trained air crews and a fully-certified maintenance team.
With IOC declared, the VAW-125 Tigertails now will train with Carrier Air Wing 1, scheduled to deploy next year aboard the carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
Read the rest of this article on the Navy Times website at http://www.navytimes.com/article/20141016/NEWS04/310160060/New-Navy-E-2D-aircraft-goes-operational
