In December France signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to procure three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft from the U.S. Navy like the one pictured here.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 26, 2020) An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye attached to the Tiger Tails of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 125 approaches the flight deck the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during Keen Sword 21.
France becomes second FMS for E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
France became the second international customer of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE), Dec. 2, with a signed Letter of Offer and Acceptance to procure three E-2D aircraft from the U.S. Navy, for a maximum value of $2 billion.
“The E-2/C-2 program office is looking forward to continuing a longstanding partnership with France and beginning a new chapter with the E-2D,” said Capt. Pete Arrobio, E-2/C-2 Airborne Command and Control Systems Program Office (PMA-231) program manager. “This procurement will increase interoperability among the U.S. Fleet and international partners.”
The E-2Ds are scheduled to be delivered by 2028 and to replace the three existing E-2C Hawkeyes of the French Navy, Marine Nationale.
The E-2D AHE represents a two-generation leap in technology compared to its predecessor, the E-2C Hawkeye. The aircraft features a state-of-the-art radar and upgraded aircraft systems that improve supportability and increase readiness. The centerpiece of the E-2D AHE is the APY-9 radar system, designed specifically to provide enhanced surveillance detection and tracking capability against advanced threat aircraft and cruise missile systems in the overland, littoral, and open ocean environments. With the addition of aerial refueling capabilities, the E-2D remains the most advanced command and control platform in the world.
The Japan Air Self Defense Force was the first international customer of the E-2D AHE and has purchased 13 aircraft to date.