The U.S. Navy will deploy its Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to Japan next month as part of the service branch’s rebalance effort in the Asia Pacific, USNI News reported Thursday.Sam LaGrone writes the E-2D assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 Tigertails will head to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as a component of Carrier Air Wing 5.
The squadron is meant to replace the VAW-115 Liberty Bells that will relocate to Point Mugu in California, according to the report.
“The U.S. Navy is also scheduled to begin a phased relocation of CVW-5’s fixed-wing aircraft from Naval Air Facility Atsugi to MCAS Iwakuni,†the military branch said.
The service branch added that the relocation will begin in the second half of 2017.
CNN’s Brad Lendon reported Friday that the E-2D is equipped with a Lockheed Martin-made A/N-APY radar system that works to detect smaller targets and stealth aircraft.
The report said the aircraft set for deployment to Japan previously operated from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier to support the war against the Islamic State organization.
