Japan Air Self-Defense Force Completes Key E-2C Milestone
BETHPAGE, N.Y.--- The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has celebrated a major milestone with its Northrop Grumman Corporation E-2C Hawkeye aircraft fleet, completing more than 60,000 flight hours without an accident. "The JASDF, which has a close relationship with both the U.S. Navy and our industry team, operates and maintains its E-2C fleet to the highest standards. Its operational readiness typically is among the highest worldwide. Japan's E-2C Hawkeye program is a model for success,'' said Robert E. Schwarz, vice president and Integrated Product Team leader-Airborne Early Warning Programs for the Integrated Systems and Aerostructures (ISA) Sector. The JASDF AEW Squadron, whose home base is Misawa on Honshu island, operates 13 E-2C Hawkeyes. The squadron provides three continuous surveillance points over Japan's air and sea lanes. The JASDF also "scrambles'' its E-2C's with fighters to investigate intrusions into Japan's airspace, extending long-range surveillance beyond the coverage of ground-based radar. Japan has the largest E-2C force outside of the U.S. Navy, having acquired its first eight aircraft between 1979 and 1984. Five additional E-2C's were ordered from 1989-90. The E-2C Hawkeye was designed to operate from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Because Japan flies its Hawkeyes exclusively from air bases, the aircraft's service life is double that of the U.S. Navy's. It is estimated that less than half the E-2C's service life has been flown in nearly 20 years of JASDF operations. Consequently, Japan continues to invest in system and supportability enhancements for its Hawkeyes, projecting a service life beyond the year 2020. The U.S. Navy has continuously upgraded the E-2C and has undertaken research and development on a new generation of technology upgrades. This year the Navy awarded a multiyear contract to ISA for 22 new aircraft -- one of which is for France -- to be delivered through the year 2003. Japan has purchased one upgrade kit for its E-2C's and is considering plans during the next several years to upgrade the entire fleet to ensure commonality with the U.S. Department of Defense capabilities. "We are very fortunate to have Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Toshiba Corporation as our Japanese partners in supporting and modifying the E-2C for JASDF,'' Mr. Schwarz said. Japanese industry will participate in systems modifications and install the upgrade kits at the Kawasaki Heavy Industry facility at Gifu. "The JASDF relationship is a vital one for our business,'' said Lou Carrier, sector vice president for ISA's AEW&EW Systems business unit. "We have a large E-2C customer base that includes the U.S. Navy and six international air forces that operate another 33 Hawkeyes. The continuing enhancements for the Japanese E-2C program will ensure that the fleet will accomplish its mission for many years to come.'' Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures Sector, headquartered in Dallas, is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. ISA has the capabilities to design, develop, integrate, produce and support complete systems, as well as airframe subsystems, for airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft, early warning aircraft, airborne electronic warfare aircraft, air combat aircraft, and commercial aerostructures.
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Japan Air Self-Defense Force Completes Key E-2C Milestone
