The E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C)
System is able to fly for long periods of time and manage the
battlespace from the sky, providing situational awareness and
tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets at the same time.
It then uses the information it gathers to direct other assets
like fighter jets and warships. It has already been proven on
operations in the battle against Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
Further discussions are set to take place before any investment
decision is made, as the MOD follows a stringent approvals
process to ensure the aircraft meets the military requirement and
represents value-for-money. If selected, UK industry could be
involved significantly with the programme, from modification work
to through life support.
Speaking ahead of the meeting of Defence Ministers in NATO,
Defence Secretary said:
The Wedgetail is the stand-out performer in our pursuit of a
new battlespace surveillance aircraft, and has already proved
itself in Iraq and Syria. Running air operations from the sky,
it could be an excellent asset for the RAF and give us a real
edge in this increasingly complex world.
Our future with Australia will already see us operate the same
maritime patrol aircraft, world-class Type 26 warships and
supersonic F-35 jets. Wedgetail may join that formidable
armoury and help us work together to take on the global threats
that we both face.
Following market analysis and discussions with other potential
providers, the MOD has concluded that the potential procurement
of the E-7 represents the best value for money option for the UK
against need, whilst representing a significant opportunity for
increased defence cooperation and collaboration with our key ally
Australia.
The MOD will work closely with Boeing to ensure Britain’s leading
defence industry could also benefit from any deal.
Named after Australia’s largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed
eagle, the high-performing aircraft has been proven on operations
with the Royal Australian Air Force, having seen action against
Daesh over Syria and Iraq and impressing US Forces in the ‘Red
Flag’ series of large-scale exercises.
The Wedgetail uses a standard Boeing 737 airliner modified to
carry a sophisticated Northrop Grumman active
electronically-scanned radar and can cover four million square
kilometres over a single 10-hour period. If selected, it would
replace the E-3D Sentry, which entered service in 1992.
It is a proven and reliable aircraft that has been in-Service
with the Royal Australian Air Force for some time, with potential
to considerably reduce the risk normally associated with
acquiring a complex new platform of this nature. The aircraft is
based on the Boeing 737 airliner family as is the P-8A Poseidon
maritime patrol aircraft due to enter service in 2019.
The news represents a further development of the UK’s
increasingly close military capability and industrial
relationship with Australia, who recently selected the British
Type 26 design for its future frigate. That decision confirmed
the UK’s world-leading ship design capabilities, whilst
strengthening collaboration in anti-submarine warfare and
demonstrating the value of the global five-eyes partnership.
With its proven interoperability, the Wedgetail could also link
up with the RAF’s latest arrival, the F-35 Lightning, providing
pilots with the latest intelligence and situational awareness
demonstrating how a modernised next generation Air Force can
fight and win in an increasingly complex and dangerous
environment, characterised by high speed and low observability.
With Australia also a partner in the F-35 programme, the RAF and
the Royal Australian Air Force will have further opportunities to
work together across platforms and with other allies such as the
United States to share and collect data and conduct joint
training missions, all leading to faster, more effective and more
integrated combat forces.
