Flight International - January 19, 2016

DEFENCE

18 | Flight International | 19-25 January 2016 flightglobal.com

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N

orthrop Grumman has
been awarded a $286 mil-
lion contract to modify the first
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye air-
borne early warning and con-
trol system aircraft now being
built for Japan, primarily to
prepare it for extended-endur-
ance flights.
Part of a four-aircraft re-
quirement for the Japan Air
Self- Defence Force, the lead
example was ordered in No-
vember 2015, with the adapta-
tion award announced on 5
January.
The US Navy is exploring an
in-flight refuelling capability
which would enable the E-2D
to carry out longer-duration
missions after taking off from
an aircraft carrier. The modifi-
cation is expected to be availa-
ble for use by 2020. Japan,
however, deploys its current
Hawkeyes from land bases,
and its new examples will op-
erate with additional fuel in a
“wet wing” configuration.
By using this adaptation,
Tokyo’s E-2Ds will be able to
remain airborne for up to 8h,
rather than a usual maximum

A meeting of British and Japanese

ministers on 8 January resulted in

the nations pledging to enter a

second phase of discussions re-

garding the co-development of a

proposed Joint New Air-to-Air

Missile (JNAAM).

“Following the success of the

first round of talks on the co-oper-

ative research project on the fea-

sibility of a joint new air-to-air

missile, the ministers confirmed

discussions would move to the

second stage,” the UK Ministry of

Defence said following the meet-

ing between defence secretary

Michael Fallon and foreign secre-

tary Philip Hammond and their

respective Japanese counter-

parts, Gen Nakatani and Fumio

Kishida.

Details on the proposed JNAAM

are limited; it was first introduced

by the same minsters when they

met in London a year earlier.

However, a common acquisition of

both nations is the Lockheed

Martin F-35, with Japan to intro-

duce 42 and the UK planning to

field an eventual 138.

MBDA is planning the integra-

tion of its Meteor beyond-visual-

range air-to-air missile with the

F-35, and reports in 2014 sug-

gested that Japan could collabo-

rate to provide the weapon’s

seeker.

Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force

also operates Boeing F-15,

McDonnell Douglas F-4 and

Mitsubishi F-2 combat aircraft,

Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer data-

base shows.

The ministers also discussed

the possibility of Royal Air Force

Eurofighter Typhoons visiting

Japan later this year for a joint ex-

ercise. Their arrival would follow

participation in manoeuvres under

the Five Power Defence

Arrangements; a series of bilat-

eral agreements between

Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand,

Singapore and the UK. ■

modification BEth stEvENsoN LoNDoN

tokyo’s Hawkeyes

to be adapted for

extended watch

Japan’s under-development airborne early warning system
to receive in-flight refuelling capability for extended missions

collaboration

Japan, UK aim for Joint new air-to-air missile development

of 5h.

Jay Mulhall, Northrop’s di-

rector of global strategy and

mission solutions, tells Flight

International that the new

E-2D contract covers other Jap-

anese-specific modifications –

which he declines to disclose

• plus support services and
  other non-recurring work,
  such as preparing the aircraft’s
  base at Misawa.
  The first delivery for Japan is
  expected early in 2018, with
  the nation’s defence acquisi-
  tions typically allowing for the
  purchase of one aircraft
  per year.

Once introduced, the air

force’s Advanced Hawkeyes

will augment, rather than re-

place, the 13 E-2Cs already in

operation, Mulhall says.

Separately, the USN late last

year completed its first active

deployment of an E-2D unit,

with five aircraft from its VAW-

125 “Tigertails” squadron –

based at NAS Norfolk in Vir-

ginia – having deployed for

nine months aboard the USS

Theodore Roosevelt, as part of

its Carrier Air Wing 1.

Mulhall says 22 aircraft from

an eventual 75 have been

delivered to the USN so far, in-

cluding six that were handed

over during 2015. ■

Export operator will field the E-2D with a “wet wing” modification

US Navy

Using this adaptation,

tokyo’s E-2ds will

be able to remain

airborne for up to 8h,

rather than 5h

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