Northrop Grumman has started the production of the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye for the French Navy at the company’s St. Augustine manufacturing facility.
As informed, the ceremony brought together representatives from the French Navy, Northrop Grumman, Naval Air Systems Command and Navy International Programs Office.
The company is contracted to produce three E-2D aircraft, the first of which is scheduled for delivery in 2027.
The E-2Ds will replace France’s E-2C Hawkeye 2000 fleet, which has been in operation for over 25 years.
Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye 2000, which entered service with the French Navy in 1998, provides air defense and supports the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group.
France is the only country other than the USA to operate its E-2C Hawkeyes from an aircraft carrier. This capability has enabled interoperability exercises that support Hawkeyes and other aircraft from the French and US fleets, the company noted.
E-2 variants are operated by air forces and navies around the world, with E-2D being the latest in a line of AEW aircraft.
In February this year, Lockheed Martin delivered the 75th APY-9 radar under contract to Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
The Northrop Grumman-built E-2 has come to be known as the U.S. Navy’s “eyes of the fleet” because of its ability to simultaneously watch over air, land, and sea, according to the US Navy. The E-2D brings significant enhancements over its predecessors, including the ability for aerial refueling. Japan has purchased 18 E-2D Hawkeyes and France has purchased three units.