Northrop says scout plane on track for 2010

Northrop Grumman Corp. said the E-2D plane, the next-generation version of the E-2C Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, is "on track" to enter service in 2010 for the U.S. Navy and that the company hopes to also sell the plane to the United Arab Emirates.

The U.A.E. is the only country authorized by the U.S. government to use the E2-D and talks are ongoing to make the airplane available to other countries, said John Brooks, president of Northrop Grumman International, today at the Idex International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi.

The Hawkeye has been the Navy's primary surveillance and patrol aircraft since its first use in 1973. The planes have been continually upgraded to keep pace with new technology since then.

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