In early 2022, the US Air Force made the decision to replace its obsolete Boeing E3 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 E7 Wedgetail, currently serving in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Lighter and better equipped than the E3, the Wedgetail is regarded as a much stronger defense element in the 21stcentury airspace, and it also incorporates the powerful Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Multirole Electronically Scanned Array or MESA radar.

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



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