RAF boss hopes for a return to a five-aircraft E-7 buy
An Australian RAAF E-7 Wedgetail. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
While the RAF may hope to return to its original plan for a five-strong E-7 AEW fleet, the service will still have to wait until 2024 to receive its first aircraft.
Speaking to MPs, the head of the Royal Air Force (RAF), Chief of the Air Staff ACM Sir Mike Wigston, expressed an ambition to increase the service’s scaled-back purchase of three Boeing E-7 Wedgetails.
Initially, the RAF planned to buy five of the surveillance aircraft; however, this number was reduced to three.
Speaking to Parliament’s Defence Committee on 1 February, Wigston said: ‘Our original analysis identified that the number to give our political decision-makers choice, to bring resilience to the force and to add the value you talk about from this phenomenal platform, which really multiplies the force, was
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement]()
Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement
Spain accounts for 5% of European military UAV spending, broadly in line with its share of the continent’s wider defence market. What sets the country apart, however, is how much of that spending has already been committed, reflecting Spain's earlier adoption of the capability.
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
-
![Germany air focus: Europe’s leading near-term air market targets domestic industry]()
Germany air focus: Europe’s leading near-term air market targets domestic industry
Between 2026 and 2032, almost a quarter of EU aircraft spending is expected to come from Germany. While crewed programmes seek modernisation and replacement, uncrewed opportunities look to introduce entirely new capabilities, with both highlighting sovereignty and domestic production.
