Japan’s government won State Department approval to buy nine Hawkeye ‘early warning’ aircraft from defense contractor Northrop Grumman, a key step in overseas sales of military equipment.
A critical U.S. ally, Japan works with Washington to ensure stability in East Asia and the western Pacific and would use the turboprop planes and related equipment, valued at $3.2 billion, to augment an existing fleet tasked with monitoring air and naval activity in the region, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The unit oversees sales of Defense Department equipment as well as products from major contractors to U.S. partners.
Along with the nine E-2D Advanced planes, Japan’s purchase price includes 28 engines, 10 of which are spares; 12 tactical radio terminals and 10 electronic radar systems capable of countering stealth technology and detecting enemy aircraft and missiles at a greater distance. Congress was notified on Dec. 7.
A Northrop spokeswoman declined to comment.
Prospective sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign allies have reached $63 billion so far this year, roughly 50 percent higher than in all of 2017, easing concern that President Trump’s tariffs would curb deals.
Executives at U.S. defense contractors told analysts and investors this summer that they had no seen no signs yet of allies using military sales as leverage in trade negotiations, though Cowen Washington Research Group analyst Roman Schweizer said Canada and Germany remain test cases.
Going through with the Hawkeye order would rank Japan just behind Germany in year-to-date sales. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government ordered $3.9 billion of weapons orders from Oct. 1, 2017, through July 31, according to an analysis by the Washington Examiner.
