SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Lockheed Martin Corp. in Bethesda, Md., in collaboration with Northrop Grumman Corp. in Falls Church, Va., has completed flight testing of the Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder (DREXR) upgrade for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
The upgrade is designed to enhance the aircraft’s ability to detect, track, and counter evolving threats in contested and austere environments, reinforcing its role in carrier strike group defense and airborne battle management.
DREXR replaces legacy exciter and receiver subsystems with a compact, integrated unit that consolidates radar front-end and signal-generation functions into a single line-replaceable assembly, reflecting a broader shift toward more integrated digital receiver-exciter architectures.
Test results
During flight testing, the companies validated key enabling technologies, including wideband transmit and receive, independent transmit control at the radar element level, and software-defined waveform generation. These capabilities support the aircraft’s radar system, enabling more agile sensing, improved target discrimination, and enhanced resistance to electronic attack.
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The wideband RF architecture increases instantaneous bandwidth, supporting more complex waveforms and improved detection of challenging targets. Independent transmit per element suggests more granular control consistent with advanced beamforming techniques, allowing the radar to dynamically shape beams and support multiple functions.
The software-defined waveform capability enables operators to modify radar behavior through software updates rather than hardware changes, supporting rapid adaptation to evolving threats and mission requirements.
DREXR also integrates a digital recording function that captures radar data during missions to support post-mission analysis and ongoing capability development. The companies say these datasets will support development of future artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities, including advanced processing and data exploitation techniques.
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The consolidation of receiver, exciter, and recording functions into a single unit also offers size, weight, and power (SWaP) advantages, along with improved reliability and maintainability for carrier-based operations.
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye serves as the Navy’s primary airborne early warning and battle management platform, linking air, sea, and joint forces into a unified operational network. The DREXR upgrade is part of ongoing modernization efforts to sustain the platform’s effectiveness against advanced and evolving threats.
"The successful DREXR flight tests demonstrate our commitment to keeping the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye at the forefront of airborne early warning and battle management," said Rick Cordaro, vice president of Lockheed Martin Radar and Sensor Systems. "By modernizing this proven platform, we are ensuring it remains a critical enabler for force protection, command and control, and mission success in today’s increasingly complex threat environment."
