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3h ago

NATO Halts E-7 Wedgetail Purchase After U.S. Withdrawal

European allies now plan to source an AWACS successor they can field before the alliance’s aging E-3s retire in 2035.

A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail, operated by No. 2 Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia, flies with a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor April 21, 2021, near Oahu, Hawaii. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. John Linzmeier)
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NATO countries are pulling the plug on plans to buy US-made Boeings to replace the alliance's surveillance planes

Overview

  • The Netherlands said a consortium of NATO partners has stopped the planned acquisition of six Boeing E-7s after the United States quit the joint effort in July, removing its strategic and financial basis.
  • Partners are seeking alternatives and new collaborators, aiming to introduce quieter replacement aircraft before the current 14 E-3A Sentry jets reach end-of-life; the fleet operates from Geilenkirchen, Germany.
  • NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the replacement process is ongoing and pledged to accelerate decisions following the reversal of the 2023 E-7 selection.
  • The Pentagon moved to cancel the U.S. E-7 program over cost, delays and survivability concerns, while Congress just included roughly $200 million for Wedgetail rapid prototyping, with two aircraft in work in the United Kingdom.
  • Dutch deputy defense minister Gijs Tuinman emphasized investing in European industry as options such as Saab’s GlobalEye/Erieye and proposals based on Airbus, Dassault or L3Harris platforms are considered.