DAYTON, Ohio–The U.S. Air Force is examining potential improvements for the communications and radar systems of the Boeing [BA] E-7A Wedgetail, which is to replace at least 15 of the venerable E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes for airborne moving target indication.
Improvements upon the
Northrop Grumman [NOC] Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar would increase range and allow the radar to detect small radar cross section targets.
“For comms, AWACS right now uses Iridium for bandwidth,” Tom Ramsey, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s senior materiel leader for AWACS and the E-7A, told reporters here during a question and answer session during AFLCMC’s annual industry days conference. “We’re looking to get increased bandwidth out of [SpaceX’s] Starlink, and can we use more secure comms in some areas.”
Steven Wert, AFLCMC’s program executive officer for digital, told reporters that advanced procurement for the second and third Wedgetail airframes, the civil to military aircraft conversions, and MESA parts would accelerate Wedgetail fielding after the first plane.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said that E-7A delivery to the Air Force requires two years to acquire the new production 737-700 aircraft and two more years to modify them with the radar and command and control systems for the airborne early warning command and control mission.
On July 26, AFLCMC issued a Notice of Contract Action to award a sole-source contract to Boeing for advanced procurement of long lead items for the 737-700, Section 46 reinforcement of the fuselage, MESA radars and other long lead parts.
While the Air Force has said that a $200 million congressional add last year for the Wedgetail will not accelerate first fielding of the aircraft, the service says that Congress could push up fielding of the E-7 from one in fiscal 2029 to two in fiscal 2028, if lawmakers fully fund the $596 million for Wedgetail on the service’s fiscal 2024 wish list (Defense Daily, May 8).
The Air Force has said that, if Congress were to provide the $596 million, long-lead items for the first two E-7As would begin production in fiscal 2024.
In addition to his PEO digital position, Wert, the co-lead for Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s third operational imperative–moving target indication (MTI) at scale, said that he has 320 programs under his purview, among them the AWACS and Joint STARS, both of which the Air Force is retiring; the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail; and the Over-the-Horizon Backscatter radars to improve upon the North Warning System coverage of North America.
MTI at scale was the subject of an offsite classified briefing for AFLCMC industry day participants on the morning of July 31.