U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman has received a production order for 24 E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

U.S. Navy on 10 April awarded Northrop Grumman a modification to definitize the previously awarded E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) Lot 7 advance acquisition contract to a multi-year fixed-price-incentive-firm contract, according to a Department of Defense statement.

This modification provides for the procurement of 24 full-rate production Lots 7-11 E-2D AHE aircraft.

Work is expected to be completed in August 2026.

According to the Northrop Grumman, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is a game changer in how the Navy will conduct battle management command and control. By serving as the “digital quarterback” to sweep ahead of strike, manage the mission, and keep our net-centric carrier battle groups out of harms way, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the key to advancing the mission, no matter what it may be. The E-2D gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness, especially in the area of information operations delivering battle management, theater air and missile defense, and multiple sensor fusion capabilities in an airborne system.

Some of the many new features of the Advanced Hawkeye are

• A completely new radar featuring both mechanical and electronic scanning capabilities
• Fully Integrated “All Glass” Tactical Cockpit
• Advanced Identification Friend or Foe System
• New Mission Computer and Tactical Workstations
• Electronic Support Measures Enhancements
• Modernized Communications and Data Link Suite

With a two-generation leap in radar sensor capability and a robust network enabled capability, the Advanced Hawkeye will deliver critical, actionable data to joint forces and first responders. These advances provide warfighters with the necessary situational awareness to compress the time between initial awareness and active engagement.