The RAF’s Wedgetail E7 AEW Mk1 aircraft has successfully completed its inaugural test flight from Birmingham Airport marking a significant milestone in the provision of this advanced Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability.
This flight is designed to evaluate the performance of the flying control, engine, and avionics systems after the initial construction phase conducted at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham. The Wedgetail represents the pinnacle of technological advancement in Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, offering UK Defence enhanced aerial surveillance capabilities that extend well beyond the reach of ground-based systems and fighter aircraft sensors.
This platform has already demonstrated its effectiveness with the Royal Australian, Republic of South Korea, and Turkish Air Forces, and it has recently been chosen by the United States Air Force and NATO as their forthcoming command and control aircraft.
Achieving the first flight of Wedgetail is a significant milestone, representing an outstanding effort from the RAF programme team, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), Boeing, and STS Aviation Services. We will now build on this success and look forward to continuing the Test & Evaluation phase as part of our preparations for the aircraft to enter service with the RAF.
Group Captain Richard Osselton
RAF Programme Director for Wedgetail
The Wedgetail is equipped to undertake a diverse array of missions, delivering precise and high-fidelity target information through its state-of-the-art Multirole Electronically Scanned Array, which is uniquely positioned in a fin on the aircraft’s spine. This sensor, in conjunction with a sophisticated communications suite, empowers the crew to exercise tactical control over other assets through both voice communication and tactical data links, thereby improving the situational awareness of Joint Force commanders.
The mission crew will employ advanced workstations to establish a multi-domain battle management capability, which includes offering situational awareness to various assets, coordinating both offensive and defensive operations, and ensuring ongoing surveillance of designated areas. The Wedgetail greatly improves the effectiveness of allied combat aircraft and naval vessels, thereby facilitating their missions and enhancing their resilience in adversarial conditions.
The UK’s Wedgetail will serve under No 8 Squadron and will be located at RAF Lossiemouth alongside the Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft, both of which are based upon the widely used Boeing 737 Next Generation airframe.
