https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022...replace-awacs/
It’s the Wedgetail: Air Force to buy E-7 to replace AWACS
WASHINGTON — The Air Force announced Tuesday it will replace part of the E-3 Sentry, or
Airborne Warning and Control System, fleet with Boeing E-7 Wedgetails.
In a release, the service said the decision to go with the Wedgetail was based on market research and that it is “the only platform” that could meet all of the Defense Department’s requirements for tactical battle management, command and control, and target tracking in time to
replace the aging E-3, which dates back to the 1970s.
The Air Force plans to award a contract to Boeing in fiscal 2023 for the Wedgetail, which was developed by Australia for its air force.
The service’s proposed 2023 budget calls for retiring 15 E-3s, or about half the fleet, from Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. It would provide $227 million in research, development, test and evaluation funds for the replacement. The first rapid prototype E-7 would be delivered in fiscal 2027.
The Air Force said it plans to fund a second rapid prototype aircraft in fiscal 2024 and aims to make a production decision the following year on fielding more Wedgetails.
The release did not say how many Wedgetails the Air Force might eventually buy.….