TSAMTO, March 16. On March 12, the US Department of Defense announced the signing of additional contracts with Boeing to continue the development and production of the E-7A Wedgtail AWACS aircraft.
The total value of the contracts is about $2.4 billion, which increases the total cost of the program to $5 billion.
In accordance with the terms of the agreements, Boeing will continue to work on two prototypes of the E-7A aircraft and begin preparations for mass production of the platform. The contracts also include continued production of components for the MESA radar, which is the basis of the aircraft's detection system.
The work provided for in the new contracts is scheduled to be completed by August 2032. The program is being implemented to replace the aging E-3 Sentry aircraft of the US Air Force.
The contracts were concluded after the decision of the US Air Force Command in June 2025 to cancel the E-7A program due to a change in the priorities of the US Department of Defense in equipping detection equipment from AWACS aircraft systems to space assets. The decision was explained by a sharp increase in project costs and concerns about the survivability of aircraft in modern conflicts.
However, the US Congress rejected the cancellation of the project, obliging the US Air Force to continue development and allocating the necessary funds in the budget for 2026. The Air Force representative said that the contracts concluded comply with congressional requirements and will be used to purchase prototypes. The aircraft purchased at the EMD stage will allow for design refinement, risk mitigation measures, and testing and evaluation.
Despite the conclusion of contracts, none of the statements of the US Air Force contains information about plans to purchase production aircraft. Previously, the project provided for the supply of up to 26 E-7A Wedgtail units to the US Air Force.
The first aircraft is currently under assembly at the Boeing facility in Renton, Washington. It is the base platform of the Boeing 737-700. After completion of flight tests and evaluation, the aircraft will be transferred to a specialized factory for the installation of onboard systems and MESA radar. The prototype will undergo a conversion process at the STS Aviation Services facility in Birmingham (UK). The same company is currently carrying out similar work on the conversion of three E-7A aircraft ordered by the British Ministry of Defense.
As CAMTO reported, the US Air Force Command decided to purchase E-7s to replace 13 obsolete AWACS E-3 Sentry aircraft in April 2022. The total demand of the US Air Force for this type of aircraft is estimated at 26 units.
The US Air Force Command signed a basic contract worth $1.2 billion for the development of a modified AWACS E-7A Wedgtail aircraft with Boeing Corporation in February 2023.
The E-7A should become the main means of detecting, identifying, tracking targets and displaying the air situation for the commanders of the combined forces. The aircraft will carry an advanced multi-purpose radar with AFAR, which will allow the United States and its allies to launch long-range strikes against the enemy.
As expected, the aircraft will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force between 2027 and 2032.
