Japan awards Northrop Grumman contract for E-2D Hawkeye radar aircraft

Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The government of Japan is awarding Northrop Grumman Systems $32.7 million for long-lead parts and equipment for Japan E-2D radar aircraft.

The contract modification falls under Foreign Military Sales with the work expected to be completed by Aug. 2022. $32.7 million in FMS funding will be obligated upon award. It falls under a approved sale of nine E-2D radar early warning aircraft to Japan under a deal worth over $3.1 billion.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the current variant of the land and carrier-based radar and command-and-control plane. It is designed to provide radar sensor coverage and coordinate other planes at long range.

It has 360-degree long-range radar that is effective over open seas, shorelines, and land operations. It designed to detect, track, and identify air and surface targets, provide Friend or Foe identification, and has electronic warfare and surveillance systems.

It is capable of coordinating multiple strike, air support, reconnaissance, and other missions while transmitting data back to the carrier battle group using networked data-links. The Hawkeye has been in use with upgrades since 1964 and supplements the larger E-3 AWACS plane used by the U.S. Air Force and allies for long-range aerial radar capabilities.