Boeing E-7 Wedgetail
| Boeing E-7 Wedgetail | |
|---|---|
| A Royal Australian Air Force Boeing E-7A Wedgetail | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Number built | 14 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | November 2012 |
| First flight | 2004 |
| Developed from | Boeing 737 Next Generation |
The Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, also marketed as the Boeing 737 AEW&C, is a twin-engine airborne early warning and control aircraft based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation design. It has a fixed, active electronically scanned array radar antenna instead of a rotating one as with the 707-based Boeing E-3 Sentry. The E-7 was designed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) under "Project Wedgetail" and designated E-7A Wedgetail.
The 737 AEW&C has also been selected by the Turkish Air Force (under "Project Peace Eagle", Turkish: Barış Kartalı, designated E-7T, the Republic of Korea Air Force ("Project Peace Eye", 피스 아이), and the United Kingdom (designated Wedgetail AEW1). In April 2022, the United States Air Force announced that the E-7 will be replacing the E-3 beginning in 2027.