Boeing To Rapid Prototype E-7A Wedgetail for The U.S. Air Force

The US Air Force recently granted Boeing a noteworthy contract amounting to US $2.56 billion for procuring two rapid prototype E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. This contract encompasses lifecycle development, training, and support for the US Air Force’s E-7A fleet.

The E-7A AEW&C aircraft, based on the Boeing 737-700NG airframe, features a Northrop Grumman MESA (Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array) Surveillance Radar housed in a dorsal fairing, delivering an unobstructed 360-degree view. The MESA radar endows mission crews with the capability to track airborne and maritime targets whilst sustaining continuous surveillance of the operational area. The aircraft presents reduced operating and sustainment costs compared to its predecessor, enhanced sensor performance and heightened mission readiness rates. Its unparalleled interoperability caters to a burgeoning global user community. Having proven its worth in RAAF service, the E-7A Wedgetail furnishes targeted tracking and battle management command-and-control capabilities to joint forces, conferring a potent \"first to detect, first to engage\" advantage.

Presently, the E-7 AEW&C aircraft is in service with the Royal Australian Air Force (designated as the E-7A Wedgetail), the Republic of Korea Air Force (designated as the E-737 Peace Eye), and the Turkish Air Force (designated as the E-7T Peace Eagle). Boeing is manufacturing three E-7As for the Royal Air Force, with modifications underway at Birmingham Airport in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, NATO designated the E-7A as its preferred AEW&C solution in November 2023, initiating an initial order for six aircraft. Preceding the US Air Force\'s 26 aircraft order, two rapid prototype E-7As will be procured.

The Royal Australian Air Force, US Air Force, and Royal Air Force are parties to a Wedgetail trilateral cooperation agreement, ensuring collaboration in E-7 capability development, evaluation and testing, operations, interoperability, sustainment, training, and safety.

Stu Voboril, Boeing Vice President and E-7 Program Manager, emphasized, \"Global operators are proving that the E-7 AEW&C is a critical node for air superiority in the modern battlespace. In our partnership with the U.S. Air Force, we’re focused on stable, predictable execution to deliver crucial mission-ready capabilities today. This will put us on the path for the long-term growth of the aircraft and mission.\"

Dan Gillian, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s Mobility, Surveillance & Bombers division, added, \"Our customers have an urgent need for integrated battlespace awareness and battle management. The E-7A is the airspace lynchpin to continuously scan the skies, command and control the battlespace, and integrate all-domain data, providing a decisive advantage against threats. With our open systems architecture approach, capabilities can be rapidly inserted over time as threats evolve.\"