Grumman AF-2W Guardian

The Grumman AF‑2W Guardian was a twin‑engine, all‑weather maritime patrol and anti‑submarine warfare aircraft produced by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in the early 1960s. Developed from the earlier S‑2 Tracker family, the AF‑2W incorporated a more powerful Wright R‑1820 radial engine on each wing and a fully pressurized cockpit, allowing longer sorties over the Atlantic and Pacific. First flown on 12 March 1963, the type entered service with the United States Navy in 1965, where it replaced aging Lockheed P2V Neptunes in the forward‑looking, night‑capable Guardian role.

Key features included an integrated AN/APS‑115 radar, magnetic anomaly detector, and a suite of sonobuoys that could be deployed from internal bays. The aircraft could carry up to 3,000 pounds of torpedoes, depth charges, or mines, and its rugged airframe permitted operations from carrier decks as well as land bases. The AF‑2W’s advanced avionics and dependable twin‑engine layout set new standards for maritime patrol, influencing later designs such as the P‑3 Orion.

Although retired from front‑line service in 1987, the AF‑2W Guardian remains celebrated for improving ASW detection capabilities during the Cold War and for demonstrating Grumman’s mastery of carrier‑compatible surveillance aircraft.

Grumman

Grumman AF-2W Guardian

Classification

Design & Classification