The AN/APY-9 is Lockheed Martin's UHF airborne early warning radar for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. It combines a rotating rotodome with an electronically scanned array to give the carrier air wing a 360-degree air, land, and sea picture, while supporting cruise-missile tracking, Aegis cooperation, and simultaneous air-and-surface surveillance.
This record covers AN/APY-9 as a radar subsystem, not as a standalone weapon used independently in a named conflict. Conflict pages should attach to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye when sources identify aircraft operations but do not identify the radar by exact model.
Relationship-only sensor component linked to its carrier aircraft.
NAVAIR ties AN/APY-9 to the E-2D fleet delivery; Lockheed Martin identifies it as the E-2D primary sensor and production item; Northrop Grumman describes the tracking and wide-area surveillance role.
Lockheed Martin's 2024 production update names U.S. Navy, Japan, and France E-2D demand, but those aircraft relationships do not by themselves create APY-9 conflict-use rows.
The APY-9 export trail follows E-2D aircraft packages rather than separate battlefield use. DSCA notices identify APY-9 radars or radar assemblies in Japanese and French E-2D requests, while NAVAIR identifies APY-9 as the centerpiece radar system for the French E-2D procurement.
The 2018 Japanese E-2D request included ten APY-9 radars, and a 2023 follow-on request included five installed APY-9 radars.
The 2020 French E-2D request included three AN/APY-9 radar assemblies; NAVAIR later said the French aircraft were scheduled to replace French Navy E-2Cs by 2028.
These records support operator and transfer context for the sensor, not independent APY-9 conflict-use rows.
The AN/APY-9 is the primary radar sensor fitted to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft | NAVAIR says the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye features the newly developed AN/APY-9 radar, and Lockheed Martin describes APY-9 as the aircraft's primary sensor. Sources: Navy accepts delivery of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, Lockheed Martin APY-9 radar |
AN/APY-9 sits inside a larger carrier-air-wing command-and-control chain: the radar builds the surveillance picture, the E-2D crew manages that picture, and connected ships and aircraft act on the tracks.
| Element | Documented role | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| AN/APY-9 radar | UHF airborne early warning sensor with continuous 360-degree scanning and electronic array functions. | Gives the E-2D the core surveillance picture for air, surface, littoral, and overland missions. |
| Carrier-based airborne command-and-control aircraft built around the APY-9 radar, mission computers, data links, and mission crew. | Turns radar tracks into battle-management, communications-relay, and fleet-defense support. |
| Aegis surface combatants | NAVAIR says the E-2D's APY-9 works with Aegis-equipped ships against cruise-missile threats. | Shows the radar's role as part of a distributed naval air-and-missile-defense network rather than a stand-alone sensor. |
| DREXR upgrade | Lockheed Martin describes a receiver-exciter-recorder upgrade that replaces existing receiver and exciter subsystems and adds software-defined waveform functions. | Explains why APY-9 remains a continuing modernization item after initial E-2D fleet delivery. |
NAVAIR said the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye was delivered to the fleet and that the aircraft featured the newly developed AN/APY-9 radar with continuous 360-degree scanning.
Sources: Navy accepts delivery of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
DSCA notified Congress of a possible Japanese E-2D sale that included ten APY-9 radars, nine installed and one spare, as part of the AEW&C aircraft package.
Sources: DSCA Japan E-2D 2018
DSCA notified Congress of a possible French E-2D sale that included three AN/APY-9 radar assemblies alongside aircraft, engines, communications, and mission-support equipment.
Sources: DSCA France E-2D 2020
NAVAIR said France signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, identifying APY-9 as the centerpiece radar system for the aircraft's surveillance role.
Sources: NAVAIR France E-2D FMS
DSCA notified Congress of a possible Japanese follow-on E-2D sale that included five installed APY-9 radars.
Sources: DSCA Japan E-2D 2023
Lockheed Martin announced delivery of the 75th APY-9 radar for the Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and described the radar as the aircraft's primary sensor.
Sources: Lockheed Martin APY-9 radar
Northrop Grumman described the E-2D modernization path and identified AN/APY-9 as the radar behind the aircraft's all-weather UHF wide-area surveillance and simultaneous air-and-surface tracking.
Sources: Northrop Grumman E-2D modernization
Lockheed Martin said it completed flight testing of the Digital Receiver Exciter Recorder upgrade for the E-2D, validating wideband transmit-and-receive, independent transmit-per-element, software-defined waveform, and integrated recording functions tied to APY-9 modernization.
Sources: Lockheed Martin DREXR upgrade
