The US Department of Defense (DoD) has released a contract modification award worth nearly $1.5bn to Northrop Grumman on 19 July 2024, in which it requested nine E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEWAC) aircraft.
Under the new modification, the US Navy (USN) and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will increase their existing Hawkeye units by four and five aircraft respectively. As part of the deal, the Japanese Government will allocate $766.64m (Y120bn) in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds.
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The AEWAC provides a picture of any potential threats to a naval task force from an altitude of up to 25,000 feet. E-2D also provides threat identification and positional data to accompanying fighter aircraft.
Other roles include command and control, surveillance, guiding search and rescue missions and as a relay to extend the range of communications.
Notably, the Advanced Hawkeye differs from its predecessor, the original E-2C, as it uses a new radar system, missile defence capabilities, multi-sensor integration and a tactical glass cockpit.
Currently, the USN operate 97 E-2Ds acquired between 2012 and 2023, while the JASDF employs five of them, procured between 2019 and 2020, according to GlobalData intelligence.
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By GlobalDataJapan’s Defense Ministry initially ordered an Advanced Hawkeye aircraft under the FMS programme in January 2015, before requesting one additional aircraft in August the following year with a $163m order.
Japan went on to award the original equipment manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, a $3.35bn contract for the delivery of nine E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft in September 2018.
US-Japan alliance
The joint procurement of AEWAC is just the latest development in a highly strategic defence partnership between the two countries. At the beginning of July, the US DoD announced it would undertake a nation-wide upgrade of its aerial assets based in military installations scattered across Japan.
American F-15EXs, F-16s and F-35s will enter the potential fray in a theatre that has become increasingly contentious. However, the partnership must extend beyond aerial capability too, Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Global Defence Technology.
If a prospective conflict between China and the US were to emerge over Taiwan then it is essential their forces can oeprate seamlessly in such a vast Indo Pacfic theatre.
“Logistics are very important regarding Japan because it’s a close ally, it’s a much closer theatre than Guam. [Japan is] a wealthy country, [they have] a lot of good infrastructure. Logistically, very, very helpful.”
