On February 28, 2023, the US Department of Defense issued Boeing an initial contract worth $ 1.2 billion for the accelerated development and construction of two prototypes of the E-7A long-range radar patrol and control aircraft for the US Air Force by August 2024, modified to meet the specific requirements of the US Air Force. Thus, the US Air Force began the process of acquiring E-7A aircraft to replace AWACS AWACS and Boeing E-3 Center control aircraft in service since the 1970s.
Image of a promising long-range radar detection and control aircraft Boeing E-7A of the US Air Force (c) BoeingThe statement of the US Air Force on this occasion states that:
"The US Department of the Air Force has selected the E-7A to replace the E-3 AWACS aircraft. The E-7A will provide advanced capabilities for detecting moving aerial targets and command and control, and has an advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array radar, which improves the management of combat operations in the air and allows you to carry out targeting for destruction at long ranges with potential equal opponents.
In fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of the Air Force selected the E-7A to replace the E-3 AWACS and established the E-7A Program Management Office. The US Department of the Air Force uses a method of rapid prototyping to acquire the first two E-7A.
"The E-7A will be the U.S. Department of the Air Force's primary aviation sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking, and transmitting data on all air activity to Joint Force commanders," said Andrew Hunter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force for Procurement, Technology, and Logistics. "The award of this contract is an important step in ensuring that the Ministry continues to provide situational awareness information in the combat space and provide management capabilities to American military personnel, allies and partners over the next few decades. The E-7A will provide better awareness of the air combat space by accurately displaying the air situation in real time and will be able to control and direct individual aircraft in a wide range of conditions and operational requirements."
The U.S. Air Force plans to begin production in fiscal year 2025, with the first E-7A expected to be operational by fiscal year 2027. The US Air Force expects to purchase 24 additional E-7A by fiscal year 2032. The total fleet of E-7A aircraft is projected at 26 units.
The current modernization of the E-3 AWACS is in line with the objectives of the National Defense Strategy 2022, continuing to carry out combat operations around the world to control and control and detect moving targets in the air in accordance with the requirements of the US Department of the Air Force.
"We have conducted a thorough analysis of the viable options offered by the industry to make sure that the chosen E-3 replacement can meet the specific needs of the United States. Until the E-7A is adopted, we will continue to rely on the E-3 AWACS," Hunter said. - "The rapid prototyping program will allow the integration of major American equipment complexes onto an existing aviation platform to meet the requirements of the US Department of the Air Force, while simultaneously ensuring compatibility with coalition and allied partners already operating the E-7A."
From the bmpd side, we recall that the E-7 AWACS and control aircraft (Boeing 737 AEW&C, Australian name Wedgetail) was originally developed by Boeing under a 1999 contract for the Australian Air Force, and the Australian industry is a supplier of a number of its subsystems. The aircraft is based on the Boeing 737 NG passenger liner (in the Boeing 737-700ER modification) and is equipped with a Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar system with AFAR in a fixed elongated fuselage fairing. The Australian Air Force received six E-7 aircraft in 2009-2012 (in fact, the aircraft were built by 2006, but their fine-tuning was significantly delayed) and declared them to have reached full combat readiness in May 2015.
In addition, to date, Boeing 737 AEW&C (E-7) aircraft have also been acquired by Turkey (received four aircraft in 2008, finally putting them into operation in 2014, designation E-7T Peace Eagle) and South Korea (four aircraft in 2012). In 2019, the UK signed a contract for the purchase of five E-7 aircraft (British designation Wedgetail AEW.1) also to replace the E-3D aircraft in the British Air Force. Subsequently, the British side reduced the order for the E-7 to three aircraft, however, according to recent reports, it plans to restore it to five units. The first E-7 aircraft is due to join the British Air Force in 2023.
Apparently, E-7 aircraft will also be purchased to replace NATO E-3 aircraft. In 2014, Qatar also signed an agreement on the acquisition of three Boeing 737 AEW&C aircraft, but there is still no information about its implementation.
