UK to Build Two E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C Aircraft for the US

The British industry will build two E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft for the United States Air Force.

The British government announced this on its official website.

Under the contract, the British company Boeing UK will convert two passenger Boeing 737 aircraft into E-7A Wedgetail planes.

The work will be carried out at the facility in Birmingham, where the conversion of British Wedgetail aircraft is already underway: fuselage modernization, installation of equipment, radar antenna, and other systems.

“Currently, the E-7 Wedgetail programme supports 190 highly skilled jobs in Britain, with 130 of those based in Birmingham. As Boeing expands its production line, the new 150 jobs in the UK will modify two prototype E-7A Wedgetail aircraft using the airframe from new commercial aircraft, which will be the first E-7A models received by the US,” the British government stated

More than 40 UK-based suppliers are involved in the UK E-7 program, including the construction of two new engineering facilities at RAF Lossiemouth, built with local Scottish suppliers.

By order, the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom expects to receive three E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, which will be assigned to the 8th Squadron and will restore the country’s long-range airborne early warning capabilities.

Meanwhile, the United States has decided to continue participating in the program and purchase aircraft of this type to replace the aging fleet of E-3 Sentry airborne early warning aircraft.

The most important feature of the new aircraft is the MESA radar, developed by Northrop Grumman, which uses AESA (active electronically scanned array) technology, providing a high level of airspace scanning and ground target detection.

The radar is fixed, without rotating elements, but covers a 360-degree sector around the aircraft. It is capable of simultaneously conducting air and maritime search, fighter control, and terrain reconnaissance at a maximum range of over 600 km (in surveillance mode).

For air targets the size of a fighter jet, the range exceeds 370 km, and for maritime targets the size of a frigate, it exceeds 240 km. MESA can simultaneously track up to 180 targets and guide weapons to 24 targets.

Militarnyi previously reported that in September 2024, the E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft for the Royal Air Force made its maiden flight in the United Kingdom.