American multinational Northrop Grumman celebrated Tuesday the start of production of the first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the French Navy at its facility in St. Augustine, Florida. The ceremony brought together representatives of the French Navy, industry, Naval Air Systems Command and the Navy's Office of International Programs. A milestone that "puts France on track to deploy the world's first airborne command and control aircraft", a statement said it.

Northrop Grumman has signed a contract with Paris for the production of three E-2D aircraft, the first of which is scheduled for delivery in 2027. These aircraft will replace the French fleet of E-2C Hawkeyes (upgraded to the 2000 version in 2007), which have been in operation for over 25 years and are currently embarked on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle". Compared to these, the note also reports it, the new supply will bring "significant improvements over their predecessors, including in-flight refuelling capability".

France is the only country other than the United States to operate its E-2C Hawkeye from an aircraft carrier. This capability has enabled interoperability exercises that support the Hawkeye and other aircraft from the French and US fleets. The E-2D is the latest in a line of AEW (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft that dates back more than 60 years; it is also the “world’s first airborne command and control aircraft, effective on land and sea, capable of engaging threats anywhere in the world", Northrop Grumman said it.

For the financial sector, the aerospace and defense industry also announced yesterday that its board of directors has approved the repurchase of an additional $3 billion of its common stock, increasing the authorized amount outstanding to approximately $4.2 billion. Share repurchases will occur from time to time, depending on market conditions and management's discretion, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.