The US Air Force Is Buying More E-7 Wedgetail AWACS Planes |
The US Air Force Is Buying More E-7 Wedgetail AWACS Planes
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The US Air Force is now on track to acquire up to seven of the early warning aircraft from Boeing, after years of declining to buy them.
In late 2023, NATO adopted the E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace its E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane after alliance members approved the procurement of half a dozen of the newer platforms. The international alliance has since moved forward with a plan to replace its fleet of 14 E-3As with only six more capable E-7s.
Separately from NATO, the US Air Force is now moving forward with plans to acquire an additional five E-7As from aerospace giant Boeing, beyond the two already contracted. The plan comes as an E-3 was destroyed on the ground at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, reportedly struck by an Iranian missile.
“The E-3 detects aircraft, missiles, and drones, tracking and classifying these threats. Then, mission specialists direct fighter intercepts and strike missions based on the data received, providing real-time targeting and coordination,” Harrison Kass wrote in a recent article for The National Interest.
Like the E-3 Sentry, the E-7........