WASHINGTON, Rabi'I 21, 1437, January 01, 2016, SPA -- The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract for its planned foreign military sale of an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye to Japan, according to UPI. The contract modification, valued at $285 million, supports a foreign military sale to Japan, which requested four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft in June 2015, an order amounting to an estimated $1.7 billion, including associated equipment, parts and logistical support. Northrop Grumman's Hawkeye aircraft is a twin-turboprop airborne early warning aircraft used for command-and-control operations. The E-2D variant is designed to enhance situational awareness for operators on the battlefield, featuring an upgraded radar and mission computer, an integrated "all glass" tactical cockpit, and modernized communication capabilities. Work on the contract will be performed at Northrop Grumman facilities in Florida, Virginia, and additional locations in the United States. --SPA 03:55 LOCAL TIME 00:55 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w