Nichols Martin
Northrop Grumman has completed the maiden flight of an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft that company has built for Japan through a foreign military sales contract.
The company said Wednesday it flew the aircraft from Northrop’s Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in St. Augustine, Florida, on Oct. 9.
Japan’s defense ministry picked the Advanced Hawkeye platform three years ago to address airborne early warning requirements of the country and the company began to produce two units last year.
Jane Bishop, vice president of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye programs at Northrop, said the addition of the platform to the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s current fleet will help further aid the country’s security and intelligence missions.
