The Bizarre and Risky Future of Electronic Warfare - The E-7 Wedgetail

In early 2022, the US Air Force made the decision to replace its obsolete Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet, but the radical choice meant a suitable successor ought to be selected sooner rather than later.

Several options were discussed, but a candidate quickly stood out; it was the proven Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, currently serving in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Lighter and better equipped than the E-3, the Wedgetail is regarded as a much stronger defense element in the 21st-century airspace, and it also incorporates the powerful Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array or MESA radar.

Still, the transition might prove a highly risky move in today’s fast-moving international landscape. But as Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters, the Wedgetail is: “The leading candidate, quite obviously.”

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