E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will replace the E-3A as part of the NATO surveillance fleet (AWACS), the Alliance announced on Wednesday. It is expected to be “one of NATO’s largest ever purchases in terms of capabilities.” “Surveillance and control aircraft are crucial to NATO’s collective defense,” said Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
FOR THIS will replace the aging fleet of E-3A surveillance aircraft, which have been in service as part of the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) since the Cold War in the 1980s, with a military-grade version of the Boeing 737 E-7 Wedgetail commercial jet, it said on Wednesday Alliance on its website. As we read, it is “one of the largest purchases in history of NATO capabilities”.
– Surveillance and control aircraft are crucial to NATO’s collective defense. I welcome the commitment of member states to invest in high-class (military) equipment, announced NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
E-3A Boeing
– Alliance members can jointly purchase and operate major resources that would be too costly for individual countries to purchase. This investment in cutting-edge technology demonstrates the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation as we continue to adapt to an (increasingly) unstable world, he added.
The value of the transaction will probably amount to several billion euros
The E-7 Wedgetail, based on a military-grade Boeing 737 design, is an advanced early warning and control aircraft. It is equipped with powerful radar, enabling it to detect enemy aircraft, missiles and ships from long distances and to direct NATO fighters to their targets. United StatesUK and Türkiye they use or plan to use aircraft of this type.
Boeing E-7ABoeing
The deal is likely to be worth several billion euros, but no details have been given about the cost of the new jets. Production of the six new aircraft is expected to begin in the coming years, with the first of them expected to be ready for operational service in 2031.
Boeing E-7ABoeing
NATO has been using the E-3A since the 1980s. Stationed at the Geilenkirchen air base in Germany, have participated in all major NATO operations, including the fight against ISIS, as well as on NATO’s eastern flank after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The E-7 is also expected to have its main base in Geilenkirchen and will be able to operate from several forward locations throughout Europe.
Main photo source: Boeing