All articles tagged with #e 2d hawkeye
Congressional aides propose diverting over $1.55B into the Air Force’s RDT&E to revive the E-7 Wedgetail as prototype development, redirecting funds from the Navy’s E-2D and Air Force procurement; the plan aims to deliver two Wedgetail prototypes and continue engineering, not immediate production, while the House restores E-2D procurement to six aircraft and requires a 2028 acquisition plan briefing for the E-7.
The Pentagon and Air Force moved about $1.55 billion from Air Force procurement and Navy E-2D funds into an Air Force R&D account to keep the E-7 Wedgetail program alive, reversing prior plans to cancel it and rely mainly on E-2Ds. The House Appropriations Committee supports funding the E-7 and has restored six E-2Ds for FY2027, illustrating a push for more AEW capacity rather than fewer. Final funding levels will hinge on budget negotiations with the Senate and White House; the broader context is ongoing strain on AEW fleets (E-3 retirement, E-2D load) amid ongoing operations, including Iran-related activity, which drives urgency for capable interim solutions.
OMB proposes shifting about $1.55B into Air Force R&D to resurrect two E-7 Wedgetail prototypes and continue engineering and development, reversing a Pentagon cancellation; the House Appropriations Committee backs the realignment but restores funding for the Navy’s E-2D Hawkeye and demands a 2028 acquisition plan briefing for the E-7, signaling a push to use Wedgetail as a near-term E-3 replacement.
An opinion piece argues the U.S. ABM fleet (E-2/E-3/E-7) is stretched thin by aging airframes, maintenance strain, and heavy demand from operations like Epic Fury. It criticizes budget moves to cancel ABM programs in favor of unproven options and urges funding for new ABM aircraft and updated radars, plus maintenance of pilot/crewmember pipelines, to preserve reliable early warning and battle management for high-threat theaters.