Australia to Send Radar Detection Aircraft to Poland

Australia will deploy an E-7 Wedgetail radar detection aircraft to Poland to provide Ukraine and NATO member states with information about Russian military targets.

This was stated by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, according to News.com.au.

“In August, we will send an E-7 Wedgetail aircraft to Poland for a three-month rotation to help support Ukraine in its fight against Russia,” Marles said.

About 100 Australian servicemen will also be part of this rotation.

According to him, the aircraft and the technical support team will be based at a military base in Poland and will work in coordination with the air forces of allied countries.

“We’re obviously focused on the Indo-Pacific in terms of our own strategic landscape, but what happens here in Europe has an impact on the strategic situation in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

Marles also emphasized that despite Australia’s strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific, it is crucial to keep an eye on developments in Europe.

This is not the first time Australia has deployed Wedgetail to Europe to help Ukraine. In 2023, it deployed an E-7A reconnaissance aircraft to Germany.

The E-7A Wedgetail reconnaissance aircraft is equipped with a long-range detection radar, secondary radar and tactical voice and data communications systems to provide early airborne warning and control.

It is built on the basis of the Boeing 737 Next Generation passenger aircraft.

The airplane has a fixed active radar antenna with electronic scanning instead of the classic rotating one.

The aircraft was originally developed for the Australian Air Force as part of the Wedgetail project and was designated the E-7A Wedgetail. Subsequently, the Boeing E-7A was selected as a long-range radar detection aircraft by the Turkish Air Force under the E-7T index, as well as by the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom under the Wedgetail AEW1 index.