The E-7 is considered a stop-gap measure; its missions will likely be shifted to space-based platforms in the 2030s, and the E-7 will lose its jobs to satellites much like the SR-71 did a generation ago.

The U.S. Air Force isn’t scheduled to receive its first E-7 Wedgetail aircraft until 2027, but the service is already seeking inputs to improve the new aircraft’s capabilities. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the Air Force “is already seeking industry input on new systems to either enhance or replace the sensor capabilities of the Wedgetail—or possibly even acquire new capabilities for one entirely different targeting and battle management platform.”

Why Did the Air Force Rush the First Batch of Wedgetails?

As the Air Force explained in an April 15 solicitation, the first batch of E-7s are being acquired rapidly. Why? Because the aircraft the E-7 is being built to replace, the E-3 Sentry AWACS, is a maintenance hog that has fallen into technological obscurity. Recall that the E-3 is based on the Boeing 707 commercial airliner, which was developed in the 1950s.

Currently, the Air Force has gone to Herculean lengths to keep the E-3 fleet combat ready, with a complex team of maintainers assigned to each aircraft, just to keep the 50-year old jets from falling out of the sky. The fading capabilities of the E-3 have left the Air Force with “urgent capability gaps,” which the E-7 is being rushed to plug.

But the speed in which the E-7 is being developed has drawbacks. Namely, “the government intentionally did not include emerging new capabilities,” in the E-7 program. Now, the Air Force is looking to partner with industry partners to retrofit the E-7—a strange order of events, given that the E-7 hasn’t even entered service yet. 

According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the full list of the E-7 capabilities that the Air Force already wants to improve or replace already includes: the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar; infrared sensors; Electronic Support Measures (ESM); Electronic Warfare Self-Protection (EWSP); Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT); Link 16 High Power Amplifier; Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS) connectivity; Combat identification; Next-generation Tactical Data Link (TDL); Advanced missile data link capabilities.

In other words, the Air Force is looking to improve or replace just about all of the specialized equipment that relates to the E-7’s airborne early warning role. 

When Will the Air Force Finally Field the E-7?

The E-7 is derived from the Boeing 737-700. Boeing will “integrate the sensor and battle management systems,” while Northrop Grumman will build the MESA radar on the top of the airframe—the piece of equipment which makes the E-7 visually distinct (and which replaces the rotating radome found above the E-3). 

The Air Force has ordered two E-7s for delivery in FY 2028, under a $2.56 billion contract. In total, the Air Force is expected to accept delivery of 26 E-7s, which is significantly fewer than the 34 E-3s that the service once fielded. Still, this is a leap upward from the Air Force’s current capabilities: today, only 16 E-3s are still in service.

Why the reduction in airborne early warning capabilities? The E-7 is considered a stop-gap measure; its missions will likely be shifted to space-based platforms in the 2030s, and the E-7 will lose its jobs to satellites much like the SR-71 did a generation ago.

“The long-term future of airborne command and control and targeting is not yet clear,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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