The US State Department said Monday it is ready to approve the sale of up to nine early warning military planes to Japan, in a sale worth more than $3 billion. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, made by Northrop Grumman, are equipped with powerful radars that can detect other planes and ships at long range.
Worth an estimated $3.1 billion, the deal would also include associated technology and spare engines. Congress has 30 days to raise any objections to the sale, which is unlikely given that Japan is a close US ally. “It is vital to US national interests to assist Japan in developing and maintaining a strong and effective self-defence capability,” the State Department said.
