U.S. to Cancel E-7 Wedgetail in Favour of Space Systems

Pentagon May Dump Wedgetail for Navy’s Hawkeye, Satellites

The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week. Ending the E-7 buy is among the difficult choices facing the Pentagon as it charts the 2026 defense budget and beyond, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told House and Senate appropriators. “If we have systems and platforms that are not survivable in the m…

U.S. to cancel E-7 Wedgetail in favour of space systems

The future of the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft is in jeopardy, as U.S. lawmakers and senior officials signal that the Trump administration is hoping to cancel the programme in favour of a space-based surveillance system. Speaking during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Mazie Hirono raised concerns about the potential cancellation of the E-7 in the upcoming FY2026 budget request. “This replacement situation has …

E-3 Successor Could Be Leapfrogged By Satellite Surveillance

A planned shift by the U.S. Air Force to more space-based surveillance systems has put the purchase of 26 new E-7 Wedgetail radar aircraft on the budget chopping block. The Boeing 737 Next Gen-based Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) platform is touted for low operating costs and higher mission reliability, compared with the existing E-3. The E-7 is currently in service or on contract with Australia, South Korea, Turkey and the United K…

DoD Looks to End USAF E-7 in Fiscal 2026 Budget Request - Defense Daily

The Pentagon is looking to end the U.S. Air Force (USAF) E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft by Boeing [BA] in the Trump administration’s upcoming full fiscal 2026 budget request. […]