WASHINGTON — The Air Power introduced Tuesday it can substitute a part of the E-3 Sentry, or Airborne Warning and Management System, fleet with Boeing E-7 Wedgetails.
In a launch, the service mentioned the choice to go together with the Wedgetail was based mostly on market analysis and that it’s “the one platform” that might meet the entire Protection Division’s necessities for tactical battle administration, command and management, and goal monitoring in time to substitute the getting old E-3, which dates again to the Seventies.
The Air Power plans to award a contract to Boeing in fiscal 2023 for the Wedgetail, which was developed by Australia for its air drive.
The service’s proposed 2023 funds requires retiring 15 E-3s, or about half the fleet, from Tinker Air Power Base in Oklahoma. It could present $227 million in analysis, growth, check and analysis funds for the substitute. The primary fast prototype E-7 could be delivered in fiscal 2027.
The Air Power mentioned it plans to fund a second fast prototype plane in fiscal 2024 and goals to make a manufacturing resolution the next 12 months on fielding extra Wedgetails.
The discharge didn’t say what number of Wedgetails the Air Power would possibly ultimately purchase.
The AWACS, a closely modified Boeing 707 with a 30-foot rotating radar dome above its fuselage, gives command and management and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to handle the battlefield, with a greater than 250-mile vary for its radar. It was flown in quite a few conflicts lately, together with Iraq and Afghanistan and has not too long ago monitored the battle in Ukraine.
However the plane have a mean age of greater than 43 years, and the Air Power has repeatedly careworn the necessity to substitute them as mission-capable charges declined and sustaining them turned more durable and more durable.
The Wedgetail has lengthy been seen as the highest contender for the job. Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach informed reporters final 12 months he wished the service to shortly purchase the E-7 as an AWACS substitute.
And final month, Air Power Secretary Frank Kendall informed reporters the Wedgetail was “the main candidate, fairly clearly,” although he mentioned extra due diligence remained to be accomplished.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter at Protection News. He beforehand reported for Navy.com, protecting the Pentagon, particular operations and air warfare. Earlier than that, he lined U.S. Air Power management, personnel and operations for Air Power Instances.
