NG Hawkeye sale - Needs a Hawkeye!.

Northrop Grumman Corporation will be demonstrating the capabilities of its Hawkeye 2000 airborne early warning aircraft at the Aero India 2005 Air Show from Feb 9-13 in Bangalore, India. The company designed, developed and produces the Hawkeye 2000 for the U.S. Navy. It is currently offering the aircraft to the Indian navy as the solution to its requirements for an airborne early-warning and battle-management command-and-control system.

What does this mean to us?.

1. By selling Hawkeye to India, US wants to overshadow similar Research and Development program in India (Embraer-DRDO AEW&C based on EMB145 platform).

2. By selling it to Indian Navy, US can maintain a strategic advantage over India in any future conflict (The possible theater of conflict between India and US is over Indian Ocean and its resources).