Boeing has successfully completed the first test flight of the UK E-7 Wedgetail, a modified 737 NG, in Birmingham, England. The E-7 Wedgetail will provide the RAF with advanced Airborne Early Warning & Control capabilities.
On Friday (September 20, 2024), Boeing announced a major milestone with the first successful test flight of the UK E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, a modified version of the Boeing 737 NG, which will provide the Royal Air Force (RAF) with advanced Airborne Early Warning & Control capabilities. Over 100 highly skilled team members are currently modifying three 737 NGs at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham, England. A Boeing flight test crew conducted functional tests during the first flight from Birmingham Airport, marking a major advancement in the program’s test and evaluation phase.
In Friday’s announcement, Boeing’s Vice President and E-7 Program Manager, Stu Voboril, said,
“This safe and systematic Functional Check Flight is an important step for Boeing and the RAF as part of our rigorous and extensive testing and evaluation. Our team is committed to ensuring the E-7 delivers the safety, quality, and capabilities we've promised to our customer as we prepare for delivery of the UK's first E-7 Wedgetail to the RAF.”
Also commenting on the first successful test flight, The RAF’s Programme Director for Wedgetail, Group Captain Richard Osselton, said,
“Achieving the first flight of Wedgetail is a significant milestone, representing an outstanding effort from the RAF programme team, DE&S [Defence Equipment & Support], Boeing and STS Aviation. 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 into service.”
The UK Ministry of Defence’s DE&S Director – Air Support, Richard Murray, added,
“This first flight marks a significant milestone for the programme and for our team who have worked tirelessly with our partners to progress what is a hugely complex endeavour. We are moving forward and will be delivering this critical capability to the RAF.”
The Boeing E-7 detects and identifies adversarial targets a long range, while simultaneously tracking multiple airborne and maritime threats with 360-degree coverage via the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor. The aircraft provides military customers with a critical multi-domain command and control decision advantage.
Further commenting on the first successful E-7 Wedgetail flight, Boeing’s President – UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Maria Laine, said,
“We’re proud of the robust E-7 modification line we've stood up in the UK to deliver the RAF's future Airborne Early Warning & Control fleet. We are committed to delivering this crucial capability to support the UK's national security and contribute toward regional stability.”
Boeing's UK E-7 Wedgetail Aircraft Makes First Test Flight From Birmingham Airport in England on Friday, September 20, 2024 - Courtesy Boeing/PRNewswire
The UK’s future E-7 Wedgetail fleet will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where Boeing’s local contractors are currently nearing completion of the support infrastructure facilities. The RAF, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) participate in a tri-lateral agreement toward cooperative Wedgetail interoperability, capability development, evaluation and testing, sustainment, operations, training and safety.
The E-7 is currently operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, the Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Turkish Air Force. Boeing is also building two rapid prototype E-7s for the USAF, and in 2023, NATO announced the selection of the E-7 for its Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) mission. Later this fall, following a series of test flights and further evaluation, the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will depart to a paint facility before delivery to the RAF.
Boeing has a UK workforce of over 4,000 team members, including career starters, veterans, and reserves across the country. Since 2015, Boeing has spent more than £13.7 billion with over 950 UK-based suppliers.
Source: Boeing/PRNewswire
To our valued readers: We have decided to enhance our visitor experience by eliminating user-targeted ads across our platform (excluding select static display ads). In order to make up for lost revenue, we are transitioning to a reader supported model, without a paywall, annoying pop-ups, or a required subscription. We thank you for your generous support!