Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. has drawn a $1.2-billion contract from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command to manufacture and deliver three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Block II aircraft - the hardware- and software-updated version of the U.S. Navy's airborne command and control aircraft.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is a carrier-based aircraft built by Northrop Grumman that flies high above aircraft carriers as an airborne early warning and command-and-control system to track threats, direct friendly fighters, and extend radar vision far beyond the Earth's curvature.

The E-2D Block II update is a comprehensive modernization described as the platform's most significant overhaul in 25 years. It centers around the Delta System Software Configuration 6 (DSSC 6) package, to replace legacy systems with a modular open systems architecture (MOSA) that will allow future, rapid software insertions like AI and machine learning. Fleet retrofitting is scheduled to start in 2028.

The hardware improvements include a modernized glass cockpit, high-speed mission computers, and the Lockheed Martin digital receiver exciter recorder (DREXR.) The entire package is meant to enhance the aircraft’s electronic warfare and threat detection capabilities.

According to the Pentagon announcement, Northrop Grumman’s work will be performed mainly in Florida, with other work designated for sites in California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, France, and the U.K.

The entire contract is expected to be completed by December 2031.