SINGAPORE–Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and Northrop Grumman have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on strategic cooperation that will see them upgrade Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) E-2K Hawkeyes.

The MOU was signed at the Singapore Airshow 2024 here.

AIDC said the ROCAF has six E-2Ks, although one was reportedly written off following a belly landing in 2022. Taiwan is also seeking to acquire six new E-2Ds.

Pending foreign military sales, the Taiwan aircraft prime hopes the acquisition of new aircraft will be complemented by the upgrading of current E-2Ks. This would follow the modality of Project Rising Phoenix, the upgrade of ROCAF F-16 A/Bs to F-16Vs in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.

AIDC said upgraded E-2Ks will help Taiwan strengthen its reconnaissance and early warning capability and also solve the “problem of disappearing businesses.”

AIDC has said on numerous occasions that it will lose aerospace manufacturing capabilities once it completes the delivery of all 66 T-5 advanced jet trainers at the end of 2026. It has also urged the government to move forward with its basic trainer program, which AIDC said completed its initial design stage in late 2023.