In U.S. service, the E-2 Hawkeye provides all-weather airborne early warning and command and control capabilities for all aircraft-carrier battle groups. In addition, its other purposes include sea and land surveillance, the control of the aircraft carrier's fighter planes for air defense, the control of strike aircraft on offensive missions, the control of search and rescue missions for naval aviators and sailors lost at sea, relaying radio communications, air-to-air and ship-to-air. It can also serve in an air traffic control capacity in emergency situations when land-based ATC is unavailable.
In US service the E-2 Hawkeye provides all-weather airborne early warning and command and control capabilities for all aircraft-carrier battle groups In addition its other purposes include sea and land surveillance the control of the aircraft carrier's fighter planes for air defense the control of strike aircraft on offensive missions the control of search and rescue missions for naval aviators and sailors lost at sea relaying radio communications air-to-air and ship-to-air It can also serve in an air traffic control capacity in emergency situations when land-based ATC is unavailable