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Boeing and the Air Force announced Friday that they reached an agreement on the pricing for a $2.56 billion contract to develop two rapid prototype E-7A Wedgetail aircraft.
The E-7A Wedgetail is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that's based on the Boeing 737, but it features advanced electronics and a fixed radar antenna mounted on top of the fuselage that gives the aircraft a distinctive appearance.
Wedgetail is the Air Force's planned replacement for the aging fleet of E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control systems (AWACS), which will continue to serve in that role until they're phased out when the Wedgetail is fielded in the future.
"The E-7A provides advanced airborne battle management and command and control and moving target indication capabilities," the Air Force said in a press release. "Its advanced multi-role electronically scanned array radar will enhance airborne battle management, providing improved situational awareness and enabling long-range kill chains with peer adversaries."
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The Air Force and Boeing announced a finalized contract for the Air Force's first E-7A Wedgetail, which is currently used by U.S. allies Australia, South Korea and Turkey. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
"Our customers have an urgent need for integrated battlespace awareness and battle management," said Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Boeing Defense, Space & Security's Mobility, Surveillance & Bombers Division.
"The E-7A is the airspace lynchpin to continuously scan the skies, command and control the battlespace, and integrate all-domain data providing a decisive advantage against threats. With our open systems architecture approach, capabilities can be rapidly inserted over time as threats evolve," Gillian added.
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A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on May 10, 2022. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Josey Blades via DVIDS/Fox News)
"This agreement is a win for our warfighters, paving the way for ensuring the Air Force's ability to provide advanced airborne moving target indication in the coming years," said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Andrew Hunter.
Hunter added the deal is "also an exemplar of our ability to leverage and support the expertise and investments of our partners and allies to support our common security objectives."
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail flies in formation with a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor and a Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler and F-35 Lightning II during Sentry Aloha 24-01 on Jan 30, 2024, in Hawaiian airspace. (U.S. Navy/MSgt. Mysti Bicoy, Hawaiian Air National Guard via DVIDS/Fox News)
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The Wedgetail is currently operated by the air forces of U.S. allies Australia, South Korea and Turkey, while the United Kingdom and NATO have also ordered the aircraft. The Air Force plans to eventually have a fleet of 26 Wedgetails by 2032.
The Royal Australian Air Force, British Royal Air Force and U.S. Air Force entered into a trilateral cooperation agreement related to the development, evaluation and testing, interoperability, sustainment, operations, training and safety of the Wedgetail program.
Two Air Force B-2 Spirits fly alongside four Royal Australian Air Force EA-18G Growlers and an E-7A Wedgetail off the eastern Australian coast on Aug. 4, 2022. (U.S. Navy/Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Bishline via DVIDS/Fox News)
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Boeing's contract also includes life cycle development, training and support for the Air Force's E-7A fleet. The two operationally representative prototype E-7A Wedgetails included in the contract are expected to be delivered in fiscal 2028.
