The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $62 million contract to establish a dedicated service depot for the E-2D Hawkeye’s Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, strengthening sustainment support for one of its most critical airborne surveillance platforms. The new capability will be integrated into the existing depot line at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego, California.
The facility will provide comprehensive testing, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repair services for the AN/APX-122A IFF interrogator, a key component of the Hawkeye’s combat identification suite. According to BAE Systems, the depot is designed to reduce lifecycle costs, shorten repair timelines, and improve aircraft availability, directly supporting fleet readiness and operational tempo.
BAE Systems brings decades of expertise to the program, with more than 80 years of experience in IFF technologies across multiple US Navy platforms. The company has secured several recent IFF-related contracts, including a $15 million award in 2023 for AN/UPX-50(C) interrogators and a $30 million deal in 2025 to modernize the AN/APX-123A(V) common transponder used across naval drones, ships, aircraft, and helicopters.
The E-2D Hawkeye, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, serves as the US Navy’s primary carrier-based airborne early warning and command-and-control aircraft, also operated by allied nations such as France and Japan. Equipped with Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A turboprop engines and the AN/APY-9 radar, the aircraft delivers long-range detection and enhanced situational awareness, with the BAE IFF system enabling rapid and reliable identification of friendly and hostile air contacts.
