NATO selects Wedgetail as E-3 successor

NATO has selected the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as the successor for the ageing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS) aircraft. Production of six new aircraft is planned to begin in the coming years.

The first E-7As are expected to be ready for operational duty by 2031. Currently, NATO operates fourteen E-3A AWACS aircraft from Geilenkirchen Air Base and several forward locations across Europe.

Although a number of six aircraft is mentioned, it is not known yet if more aircraft will be ordered.

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “Surveillance and control aircraft are crucial for NATO’s collective defence and I welcome Allies’ commitment to investing in high-end capabilities. By pooling resources, Allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase. This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defence cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world”.

Credit image: Boeing Defense