The Navy awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a $354 million modification on Dec. 22 providing for the production and delivery of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to France.
Work will largely be split between St. Augustine, Fla. (27.5 percent); Syracuse, NY (19.1 percent); Melbourne, Fla.(6.7 percent); Indianapolis, Ind. (5.3 percent); Menlo Park, Calif. (4.3 percent); and several other locations throughout the continental U.S. The work is expected to be finished by April 2027.
The E-2D is an aircraft carrier-capable airborne early warning aircraft.
This award comes nearly a year after France signed a letter of Offer and Acceptance to buy three E-2Ds worth up to $2 billion. The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by 2038, to replace the French navy’s current three E-2C Hercules aircraft (Defense Daily, Jan. 5, 2021).
Earlier, in 2020, the State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale to France to this effect for the aircraft (Defense Daily, July 6).
France is the second international customer of the E-2D after the Japan Air Self-Defense Force previously purchased 13 E-2Ds.