The Commander of the US Air Force, General Charles Brown Jr., revealed that the USAF is considering acquiring the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail as a replacement for the E-3 Sentry.
“The E-7 is a good platform. It's something we're considering." said the General during the annual conference of the Air Force Association, last Tuesday (21). Brown added that he and his team have been in talks with the heads of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and UK Royal Air Force (RAF) about the aircraft. The RAAF operates six aircraft, while the RAF has ordered three. The model still operates in the Turkish Air Force and the South Korean Air Force, each with four aircraft.
Based on the 737NG, the E-7 is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar produced by Northrop Grumman. Called MESA (Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array), the radar is mounted in a fin-like structure on the jet's fuselage, as opposed to the E-3's rotating dome. The MESA is capable of tracking 180 targets and conducting 24 intercepts simultaneously, in addition to being used in electronic intelligence missions.
The USAF operates 31 E-3 Sentry, with an average age of 42,8 years, according to Cirium fleet data. Brown says mission capability rates for the Air Force's E-3 fleet, as well as the cost of keeping the aircraft flying, are being reviewed.
In February, Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach said the average age of the E-3 fleet was making it difficult for the USAF to maintain the model. Wilsbach defended the purchase of the E-7, but at the time Brown declined to comment, saying the aircraft needed further study. Brown says studies are ongoing, but the E-7 is attractive because it's a "proven capability”. “Now available”, he says. “It's an option to be able to get capacity much faster than if we had to start from scratch.”
