The Japan Ministry of Defense selected the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye in 2014 to fulfill the nation’s airborne early warning requirements
Northrop Grumman announced that Japan’s first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight on Oct. 9, 2017 at the company’s Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in St. Augustine, Florida.
“The successful first flight of Japan’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is a significant milestone in delivering advanced airborne early warning and surveillance capabilities to the country,” said Jane Bishop, vice president, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye programs, Northrop Grumman. “The augmentation of the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s (JASDF) current Hawkeye fleet with the E-2D AHE further strengthens its ability to meet Japan’s evolving security and intelligence needs.”
The Japan Ministry of Defense selected the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye in 2014 to fulfill the nation’s airborne early warning requirements.
The company added that two aircraft are now in the final production phase.
As the largest Hawkeye operator outside of the U.S. Navy, JASDF also has 13 E-2C aircraft operating since 1983.
The E-2D is the latest variant of the long-running E-2 Hawkeye, the U.S. Navy’s all-weather, carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. According to Northrop Grumman, the E-2D is a game changer in how the service will conduct battle management command and control. Actually the aircraft’s suite of systems allow the Advanced Hawkeye to act as the “digital quarterback” of the fleet, collecting and distributing the tactical picture to command centers and other assets through onboard data processing subsystems. New features of the E-2D include the A/N-APY9 radar which is capable of both mechanical and electronic sweeping, an “all glass” tactical cockpit, an upgraded mission computer, and upgraded data link capabilities.
Photo credit: Northrop Grumman
