AWACS and Hawkeyes: the Complete History of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft

Naval Aviation News, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Peter B. Mersky

Armistead, Edwin Leigh. AWACS and Hawkeyes: The Complete History of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft. MBI Publishing Co., Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson St., St. Paul, MN 55101-3885. 2002. 207 pp. Ill. $24.95.

Written by a serving lieutenant commander naval flight officer with experience in E-2s and AWACS aircraft, this interesting book is a good reference and overall survey of a seldom described, but vitally important, community. Originally self-published in 1996, this commercial publication has been considerably upgraded to bring the reader into the 21st century.

The book contains a glossary and several useful appendices. The main text starts with the early stages of airborne aerial snooping and control at the end of WW II. Progressing through the Korean War and Cold War operations--which truly drove the development of newer aircraft like the E-2 and AWACS--the author describes combat deployments and the success and failure of this rather secretive group of flight crews.

He gives full coverage to the Air Force's EC-121, whose crews orbited off the dangerous route packages of the Vietnam War, guiding and protecting the strike groups as they pressed the attacks on Hanoi. The author also describes the EC-121's stellar service "flying the barrier" as an airborne sentry against possible Soviet attack. This important, but thankless, task protected America's shorelines for two decades in appalling weather and with aging aircraft that struggled to function in a constantly evolving arena.

Navy airborne early warning (AEW) began with highly modified TBM Avengers and progressed to the Grumman E-1 and E-2 Hawkeye, both of which saw considerable service in Vietnam. The author describes how the E-2's introductory problems threatened the entire program. But with the Hawkeye's continued service, including a constant upgrading and occasional construction of new aircraft, it's likely to continue its career for some time.

Though the book appeared before the second war with Iraq, a second edition should allow an in-depth description of how the E-2 and AWACS contributed to the coalition victory. There is an adequate selection of photos and a minimum of errors.

AEW crews can finally point to a book about their activities by someone who knows the subject from the inside.