Photos of the Week: Eyes from Above

You wouldn’t know it from Hollywood blockbusters, but the U.S. Navy doesn’t just fly supersonic, highly maneuverable fighters.

The E-2 Hawkeye, built by Northrop Grumman, may not be the sleekest Navy aircraft, nor does it have the most glamorous mission. However, it plays one of the Navy’s most critical (and underappreciated) roles.

The Hawkeye is the Navy’s tactical airborne early warning platform (AEW)—a multi-mission plane featuring some of the most advanced equipment of any military aircraft. Like the Sentry, the Navy’s E-2 acts as a flying control tower. Its 24-foot diameter dish atop its fuselage provides a 360-degree view and can track targets up to hundreds of miles away, sending back vital information to Naval commanders and aircraft carrier battle groups.

While often compared to the Air Force’s Boeing E-3 Sentry (which operates out of land bases with long runways), the Navy E-2 is much smaller, allowing it to take off and land from aircraft carriers. It can also fold its wings while stowed on the carrier deck, saving precious space for other planes.

The Hawkeye carries a crew of five. Two pilots fly the aircraft while three personnel—a combat