All articles tagged with #e 7 wedgetail
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.
The Pentagon has shifted from a prior austerity stance to fund the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft in its FY2027 budget, aiming to replace aging E-3 Sentry jets as Iran-related conflicts strain the AWACS fleet. Congress previously intervened to preserve the program, and seven E-7s are already under contract, but the Air Force’s fielding timeline remains uncertain as funding and budget plans are adjusted with OMB.
Lawmakers released a conference version of the fiscal 2026 defense bill totaling $839 billion, restoring funding for the Navy’s F/A-XX and increasing the Air Force’s F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance program, including about $3.9 billion for both programs (roughly $3B for the F-47 and $972M for the F/A-XX). The bill also preserves the E-7 Wedgetail at about $1.1B, aligns F-35 purchases with Pentagon plans (47 aircraft in 2026) while funding sustainment and Block 4 upgrades, backs Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider at $1.9B, and expands shipbuilding and missile programs, including the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM.
The US Air Force plans to retire all 162 A-10 Warthog attack jets and cancel the E-7 Wedgetail program by 2026, as part of a broader budget plan that includes retiring several other aircraft and increasing spending on new technologies like the B-21 Raider and F-15EX Eagle II, contingent on congressional approval of the budget reconciliation bill.
The U.S. Air Force has canceled the E-7 Wedgetail program due to rising costs and concerns about its survivability in contested environments, shifting focus towards space-based sensing capabilities to cover global and theater-specific needs instead.
NATO has chosen the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as its next airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform to replace the aging E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) plans to acquire six E-7A aircraft as part of the Initial Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (iAFSC) effort. The E-7A, already in service with Australia, South Korea, and Turkey, was selected for its commonality and interoperability with other E-7 fleets. The decision aims to enhance NATO's readiness and capabilities in response to evolving security challenges. The E-7A will be part of an integrated network of sensors, including drones, space-based systems, and other surveillance aircraft, forming the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) system of systems capability.