WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The deal was announced the same day Japan held an emergency meeting of its National Security Council to discuss North Korea test-fired a missile believed to have fallen in the Japanese exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported.
“Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a US Navy contract to begin production of a second Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) and surveillance aircraft,” the release said. “The first Japanese E-2D is in production and will be delivered in 2018.”
The E-2D is the world's only AEW aircraft in production, Northrop Grumman said.
On December 31, 2015 the US Department of Defense announced the sale for $286 million of an earlier E-2D aircraft to Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program.. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has operated the E-2C Hawkeye since 1983.
