The event saw the company’s flight test team conduct functional checks of the system before its launch.

The plane will undergo additional live assessments as part of the program’s primary evaluation phase this autumn.

Boeing will also send the aircraft to another center that will finalize the hull’s livery outfitting.

“This safe and systematic Functional Check Flight is an important step for Boeing and the RAF as part of our rigorous and extensive testing and evaluation,” Boeing VP and E-7 Program Manager Stu Voboril remarked.

“Our team is committed to ensuring the E-7 delivers the safety, quality, and capabilities we’ve promised to our customer as we prepare for delivery of the UK’s first E-7 Wedgetail to the RAF.”

‘Significant Milestone’

Boeing accepted the contract to build five E-7s in 2019 to replace the British government’s decommissioned E-3 Sentry fleet, which operated for the same purpose since the 1990s.

The $1.98-billion planes are set to achieve operational capability by 2025.

“This first flight marks a significant milestone for the programme and for our team who have worked tirelessly with our partners to progress what is a hugely complex endeavour,” UK Defence Equipment & Support Director Richard Murray commented on the latest trial.

“We are moving forward and will be delivering this critical capability to the RAF.”

Local E-7 Development Centers Now Ready

The UK’s Wedgetail initiative involved the construction of hangars in Lossiemouth, Scotland, last year to support the Wedgetail’s in-country engineering works.

The site will house works for the three upcoming E-7s as well as other military aircraft once the program concludes.

London announced the inauguration of the $103-million center in September 2024. It will be managed by over 175 on-site personnel at the project’s peak, according to the government.

“We’re proud of the robust E-7 modification line we’ve stood up in the UK to deliver the RAF’s future Airborne Early Warning & Control fleet,” Boeing UK, Ireland and the Nordics President Maria Laine commented.

“We are committed to delivering this crucial capability to support the UK’s national security and contribute toward regional stability.”

Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail

The E-7 Wedgetail has a 34-meter (112-foot) fuselage and a 36-meter (118-foot) wingspan.

It is flown by two pilots, with functions run by up to 10 mission personnel. In 2022, the UK’s first E-7 platform received its main sensor suite.

The Wedgetail is powered by turbofans for a range of 6,500 kilometers (4,039 miles), a speed of  853 kilometers (530 miles) per hour, and a service ceiling of 12,500 meters (41,011 feet).

The post Boeing Completes Maiden Flight of Future British Wedgetail Early Warning Aircraft appeared first on The Defense Post.

US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters at an air show in England that the service finally “got a reasonable price point” for the jets after bringing in a brokering expert.

“We have reached [an] agreement with them,” he said. “What we did was we brought back a former colleague of mine … to negotiate with Boeing and to drive to closure on the program: Mr. Shay Assad.”

Kendall said the two entities have yet to formally discuss the terms of the contract but expect everything to be finalized next month.

The E-7 is a combat-proven, twin-engine aircraft set to replace the US Air Force’s aging E-3 Sentry AEW&C fleet.

Price Negotiation

The announcement means that the US Air Force and Boeing have finally resolved months of tedious negotiations that stem from the service’s special requirements for the E-7.

The air force reportedly wanted US-specific features, such as open mission systems architecture and an enhanced global positioning system.

It also requested a modified design for the Wedgetail to meet US satellite communications requirements.

“They (negotiations) have been hard,” Kendall told Defense News. “There are some reasons for the price to go up, but the degree to which it was going to go up originally was unacceptable.”

The US Air Force plans to procure up to 26 E-7s by 2032.

Legal Battle

Reaching an agreement with the US despite its ongoing legal battles is a major milestone for Boeing.

Earlier this month, the company agreed to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the US Federal Aviation Administration in relation to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving its 737 Max.

The E-7 is based on the 737 Next Generation aircraft, the predecessor of the troubled 737 MAX.

Military experts told Reuters that the guilty plea could affect Boeing’s ability to secure more contracts from American agencies, such as the Department of Defense.

But Kendall quickly debunked the claim, saying he does not believe that the legal battles will lead to “significant disruption of our contracting.”

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The handover is part of an 83 million pound ($103 million) project signed with Boeing in 2023 to build a new center that will house the Royal Air Force’s forthcoming E-7 fleet.

Under the Wedgetail hub’s development, Boeing teams with Northern Ireland-based McLaughlin & Harvey for the technical infrastructure works and Scottish firm Simmers Contracts for the associated supply materials.

The British government received 7,000-square-meter (75,000-square-foot) cladding for the E-7 maintenance and mission systems training buildings in addition to the recent steel delivery.

McLaughlin & Harvey wrote that the 100-million-pound ($124 million) mission systems training center is now being completed and will be located adjacent to the Lossiemouth’s existing P-8A Poseidon hangar.

The overall E-7 infrastructure program will conclude in early 2025, the government wrote.

“Boeing leverages the strength of its local supply chain to support the communities where we are proud to live and work,” Boeing Defence UK Managing Director Steve Burnell stated.

“Through our relationship with Mclaughlin & Harvey, we are pleased to have Simmers Contracts play a pivotal role in the construction of the new facilities for the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, as we continue to work with the RAF to prepare the fleet’s entry into service.”

The E-7 Wedgetail

Boeing was awarded the order for the Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft in 2019. It will replace the Royal Air Force’s E-3 Sentry spy planes, which have been in service since the 1990s.

The E-7 Wedgetail measures 33.6 meters (110 feet) and has a wingspan of 35.6 meters (117 feet).

It is powered by two turbofans for a maximum speed of 853 kilometers (530 miles) per hour and a range of more than 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles).

It is operated by two pilots and can carry up to 10 mission personnel.

In 2022, the first British Wedgetail under development received a multi-role electronically scanned array sensor, which will function as the aircraft’s primary surveillance solution.

The post Local Industry Supplies Steel for Construction of UK Wedgetail Facility appeared first on The Defense Post.

The aircraft will be a part of Ukraine’s early-warning threat detection protocols to combat delays in the region’s humanitarian and military assistance.

The E-7A will integrate with allies, including the US, to provide “multi-layered protections” in Ukraine.

The RAAF plane arrived after the Australian Defence Force’s announcement in July that it would aid Ukraine by protecting a vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to the country.

Staff for the aircraft includes up to 100 crew and support personnel.

Australia’s Ongoing Assistance

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed Australia’s support for Ukraine during the announcement.

“We strongly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and are providing ongoing humanitarian and military assistance,” he said.

To date, Australia has pledged aid totaling 790 million Australian dollars ($498 million) to the country, allotting 610 million ($384.7 million) in military assistance, including armored vehicles and artillery ammunition.

Safeguarding With NATO

NATO has gradually reinforced an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) program in the region to keep track of Russian military activity near the alliances’ borders.

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has increased our focus on the security environment in the Baltic Sea region,” NATO Acting Spokesperson Dylan White said in a statement back in September.

“Our AWACS can detect aircraft and missiles hundreds of kilometres away, making them a key early warning capability for NATO.”

NATO continues to boost its presence on its eastern flank, deploying fighter jets, surveillance planes, and infantry units to survey the area.

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The department selected the E-7A to replace the aging E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) in April 2022.

The US Air Force currently operates 31 E-3s: 27 with the Air Combat Command and four with the Pacific Air Forces.

The service reportedly plans to retire 15 of them this year and the rest as the E-7A comes on board.

Fleet of 26 E-7As by 2032

The contract paves the way for the production of the E-7A Wedgetail in 2025 and fielding two years later. 

The air force anticipates procuring 24 E-7As by 2032, fielding a fleet of 26 aircraft.

“We conducted a thorough analysis of viable industry options to ensure the selected E-3 replacement could meet the specific needs of the US,” Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistic, said.

“Until the E-7A is fielded, we will continue to rely on the E-3 AWACS.”

The aircraft is intended to “provide advanced airborne moving target indication and battle management, command and control capabilities, and advanced multi-role electronically scanned array radar,” enabling a “long-range kill chain” against peer adversaries, the US Air Force wrote.

Advantages Over E-3

Based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, the E-7 is smaller and more fuel efficient than the 707-based E-3 Sentry. 

The aircraft is flown by the Royal Australian Air Force, the Turkish Air Force, and the Republic of Korean Air Force, and the UK procured two of jets in 2019 for the Royal Air Force. 

“The E-7A will enable greater airborne battlespace awareness through its precise, real-time air picture and will be able to control and direct individual aircraft under a wide range of environmental and operational conditions,” Hunter said.

Moreover, the aircraft brings a certain degree of commonality with the US military’s other 737-based platforms, such as the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane and the C-40 Clipper passenger transport operated by the navy, air force, and the US Marine Corps.

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Developed by Northrop Grumman, the MESA system will enable the E-7A to monitor its surroundings over 360 degrees in flight.

The sensor will assist airmen in detecting, identifying, and tracking targets at longer ranges while maintaining continuous surveillance in an operational area.

The sensor is integrated into a fin on the spine and fitted to a reinforced fuselage section.

“This installation of the MESA sensor is a tangible demonstration of the progress being made toward the phenomenal capability of Wedgetail entering RAF frontline service,” Royal Air Force Staff Capability Assistant Chief Air Comm. Alex Hix said.

“This highly complex technology is undeniably exposed to the challenges facing global supply chains and I am grateful to all involved in the programme for their continued work and dedication.”

Future Wedgetail E-7A Fleet

The Wedgetail E-7A development was ordered by UK Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) from Boeing to add a fleet of long-range air surveillance and control capabilities for the Royal Air Force.

Three E-7As are being built by 100 engineers at the STS Aviation Services facility in Birmingham.

Alongside Northrop Grumman, Boeing partnered with Hamble Aerostructures, Leonardo, and Thales for the program.

Once completed, the E-7A fleet will be assigned to the 8 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth.

“This is a hugely complex programme that is being delivered in a difficult global supply chain environment given the challenges of the last two years,” explained Richard Murray, Director of DE&S Air Support.

“Installation of the world-leading MESA sensor on the first aircraft marks a key milestone in the development of the UK E7 Wedgetail fleet and reflects the hard work of all of the project’s partners.”

The post UK Wedgetail E-7A Aircraft Receives First Sensor appeared first on The Defense Post.

The E-7 was the “only platform meeting the requirements for the Defense Department’s tactical battle management, command and control and moving target indication capabilities within the timeframe needed to replace the aging E-3,” the DAF said.

A contract is expected to be awarded in 2023 calling for rapid prototyping to deliver the aircraft by 2027.

$227 Million Requested for Prototype Contract

The service has requested $227 million in “research, development, test and evaluation funds” for the aircraft in the 2023 budget, which will come from the retirement of 15 of the fleet’s 31 E-3s. 

The air force is also planning to fund a second rapid prototype aircraft in 2024,l followed by a “production decision in 2025 fiscal to continue fielding aircraft.”

The E-7 is outfitted on the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, which is smaller and more fuel efficient then the 707-based E-3 Sentry, according to The War Zone. The E-7 was developed by Australia for the Australian Defence Forces.

Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly was quoted as saying the E-3s have “served our nation well.”

However, “there’s a reason why exactly zero airlines on the globe fly the 707,” he said. “Because it takes miracle workers every day to just get it up in the air.”

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The service wants industry partners to deliver two manned prototypes, ground support, and training equipment by 2028. However, the airforce clarified that the request for information does not tie the service to a contract.

Future Aircraft Requirements

As part of its plan to replace the plane, the service is requesting features such as “advanced airborne moving-target indication radar, identification friend or foe capabilities, electronic support measures, battle management /command and control mission system with integrated on and off-board communications.”

Additional requirements include the “ability to conduct radar-based maritime surveillance missions, an integrated self-defense suite, built-in full mission awareness in the cockpit, boom/receptacle air-to-air refueling capability, M-code global positioning system, mobile user objective system communications, [and] automatic identification system receiver.” 

Change in Plan?

The development is an apparent departure from the Pentagon’s earlier plan of exploring the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as a possible E-3 replacement. It had asked the company to study the suitability of the aircraft for possible acquisition.

The Pentagon wrote, “The government intends to award a sole source time and materials contract to the Boeing company to perform studies, analyses, and activities required to ascertain the current E-7A baseline configuration and determine what additional work the government might need to accomplish meeting USAF configuration standards and mandates.” 

A few days before the November notice, Boeing vice president for defense business development Mike Manazir backed the aircraft to replace the E-3. He stated at a press conference that the air force would announce the decision next year.

The Sentry

The Boeing E-3 has a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a 30-ft (9.1-m) rotating radar disk atop the fuselage. The radar has a range of more than 250 miles (375.5 kilometers) and subsystems, including “avionics, navigation, communications, sensors (radar and passive detection) and identification friend or foe tools.”

The air force began inducting the aircraft in 1977, with the last unit delivered in 1984. Currently, the air force operates 31 E-3s, 27 with the Air Combat Command, and four with the Pacific Air Forces.

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“I believe they’ll be announcing sometime in 2022 that they’re going to move forward on the E-7,” Boeing vice president for defense business development Mike Manazir said at a news conference.

“I think we’re going to be able to capitalize with all of our allies and bring that great capability to the United States Air Force.” 

USAF’s Interest in Wedgetail 

Manazir’s remarks follow USAF chief General CQ Brown saying in September that the service is “doing internal analysis” to buy the aircraft. “The E-7 is a good platform. It’s flown by the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Air Force is getting ready to procure some as well,” Brown said.

The service’s interest in the new system has grown largely due to the smaller and more fuel-efficient Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft the system is outfitted on as compared to the 707-based E-3 Sentry, The War Zone argued.

Moreover, the AWACS brings “a certain degree of commonality” with other 737-based US military aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane and the C-40 Clipper passenger transport, helping to ease sustainment costs. The fact that the 707 is out of production also adds to the USAF’s urgency to replace the system.  

Long-Term Goal

Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said at the conference that the E-3s have “served our nation well.” However, “there’s a reason why exactly zero airlines on the globe fly the 707,” he said. “Because it takes miracle workers every day to just get it up in the air.”

Brown explained that the proven E-7 could provide the desired qualities much faster “than if we were to start a new one from scratch,” adding that the service’s “ultimate goal” is to “look at capability that can be defensible,” suggesting a space-based system in the long run.

The USAF currently operates 31 E-3s, 27 with the Air Combat Command and four with the Pacific Air Forces, having received the first system in 1977 and the last in 1984. The system has seen operations such as Desert Storm, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Odyssey Dawn/Unified Protector.

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