The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing contracts worth 2.43 billion dollars to continue development of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. A major portion of the award, valued at 2.33 billion dollars, supports the accelerated development of prototypes linked to the aircraft’s mission systems, including radar, sensors, and battle management software. The modification raises the cumulative value of the program to approximately 4.91 billion dollars. In addition, the air force issued another contract modification worth 99.3 million dollars to address issues related to diminishing manufacturing sources for the aircraft’s Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array radar. The update will replace or redesign components that are no longer being produced to ensure continued development of the system. This additional work raises the program’s overall value to around 5.01 billion dollars. Most of the project work will take place in Seattle, Washington, with additional activities in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ohio. The program is expected to run through August 2032 and is managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. The contract awards follow earlier uncertainty regarding the program’s future. In 2025, the Pentagon considered canceling the project as it shifted focus toward space-based surveillance technologies. However, lawmakers argued that airborne early warning aircraft remain necessary until orbital systems reach full capability.
