After the U.S. Air Force expressed doubts regarding its purchase, NATO has discarded the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail as the replacement for its veteran E-3A Sentry early warning aircraft. The decision was made public a few hours ago by the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, stating that due to the withdrawal of the U.S. last July, the replacement program has undergone significant changes.
In its statement, the Dutch defense ministry detailed that “…The Netherlands, together with several partner countries, have decided not to acquire six Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. These aircraft were considered successors to the Boeing E-3A, which are currently used as AWACS aircraft… With the previous program, both the strategic and financial foundations were lost. Therefore, the remaining countries, united in the Alliance Support Committee, suspended the acquisition of the E-7…”.
It is worth noting that the U.S. has not maintained an entirely clear position regarding the purchase and continuity of the E-7 Wedgetail program to replace its E-3 Sentry, since in June of this year the Air Force announced its intention to discontinue the program due to rising costs and doubts about the aircraft’s survivability.
However, last September, the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom announced an agreement with Boeing for the construction of two E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft intended for the U.S. Air Force. “…The contract, valued at about 46 million dollars, marked the return of the United Kingdom’s aerospace industry to the manufacture of military aircraft destined for Washington, something that had not occurred in more than half a century…”, we reported at the time from Zona Militar.
This decision does not seem to have convinced the European allies of the U.S. when it comes to moving forward with the purchase of the E-7 Wedgetail, which is why the members of the alliance are currently evaluating various alternatives, not only for the replacement of the E-3A Sentry, but also to expand industrial cooperation associated with acquisition and sustainment.
Currently, NATO has a fleet of 14 E-3A Sentry aircraft, which are operated by NATO’s Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEW&CF), based in Geilenkirchen, Germany. The E-3s are a particular case for the alliance, as they are among the few military assets that NATO itself owns and operates.
*Illustrative cover image. Credits: RAAF.
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