The US Navy has contracted BAE Systems for $62 million to establish a new depot supporting the E-2D Hawkeye’s Identification Friend or Foe system.
Located at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego, California, the depot will provide end-to-end support for the AN/APX-122A IFF interrogator, including diagnostics, testing, troubleshooting, and repair. BAE Systems says the initiative will reduce maintenance costs, improve turnaround times, and boost aircraft readiness.
BAE has over eight decades of experience in IFF technology and has supplied the Navy with the AN/UPX-50(C) interrogator under a 2023 $15-million contract, and the AN/APX-123A(V) common transponder upgrade in 2025 worth $30 million.
The E-2D Hawkeye, built by Northrop Grumman, is a carrier-based early warning aircraft operated by the US Navy and foreign navies such as France and Japan. With dual Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A engines, it achieves more than 300 knots and flies up to 37,000 feet. Its AN/APY-9 radar provides detection ranges over 550 kilometers, and the AN/APX-122A IFF system supports rapid identification and operational decision-making.
