USAF to Buy E-7A EWACS Replacement | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

Mon, Mar 06, 2023

USAF to Buy E-7A EWACS Replacement

Boeing to Develop 2 New E-7 Variants for 26-Strong, $1.2B Order

The Air Force has signaled its intent to buy 26 Boeing E-7A Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft to replace its fleet of aging E-3s, with a total value of $1.2 billion up for grabs.

The E-7A provides real time tracking for airborne targets with command and control capability for allied aircraft throughout the 'battlespace'. The E-7A uses the 737-700 as a base, allowing a generational increase in reliability and efficiency over the downright vintage Boeing 707 used by the E-3. 

The Air Force isn't the only one eager to make the deal happen, as Boeing announced it would begin development of 2 new variants of the E-7. The first aircraft is expected to enter USAF service by fiscal year 2027, though, like any military program, delays are a likely outcome. The rollout will be followed by an additional 24 aircraft purchased by 2032. 

The E-7A has already made itself at home in the Royal Australian Air Force, operating throughout their missions in the Middle East to acclaim from Australian brass. In service with the RAAF, the E-7A is known as the 'Wedgetail', offering a quantitative leap in scanning performance with its Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array and 10 crew stations. With a single aircraft, the Wedgetail can cover more than 4 million square kilometers at once, nearly half the continent. In its brief service so far, their E-7As have logged missions lasting more than 17 hours without breaking a sweat, kept aloft with consistent refueling.

"The E-7A will be the Department's principal airborne sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking and reporting all airborne activity to Joint Force Commanders," said Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

FMI: www.boeing.com

Advertisement

More News

Classic Aero-TV: Remembering Bob Hoover

From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]

ANN FAQ: Follow Us On Instagram!

Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.15.24)

Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.15.24):Altimeter Setting

Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.16.24)

"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC