Boeing E-7A Wedgetail

Boeing · Australia · first flew 2004 · transport aircraft

The Boeing E-7A Wedgetail is an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Boeing 737-700 NG airframe, carrying a Northrop Grumman MESA (Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array) radar in a fixed dorsal radome. It entered service with the Royal Australian Air Force in 2009.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Fixed dorsal rotodome antenna above fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

AEW&C aircraft based on Boeing 737 NG
Fixed dorsal rotodome antenna above fuselage
Twin CFM56-engined AWACS for Australia and others

Externally similar to a Boeing 737 but with a distinctive elongated fixed dorsal blade radome atop the fuselage rather than the rotating saucer of the E-3; no winglets on baseline RAAF aircraft.

Specifications

The Boeing E-7A Wedgetail has a length of 33.6 m (110 ft).
It has a wingspan of 35.8 m (117 ft).
Typical crew: 2-10.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Australia contracted Boeing in 2000 for the Wedgetail to replace its ageing P-3 Orion in the AEW&C role. After delays, the first aircraft entered RAAF service in 2009. The type has since been ordered by Turkey, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Variants

The RAAF operates six E-7As; the UK's RAF ordered five E-7As as a replacement for the ageing E-3D Sentry, a directly relevant procurement for British readers.

Where you'll see it

In service with Australia, Turkey, South Korea, and ordered by the United Kingdom; the RAF's E-7A is replacing the E-3D Sentry at Waddington.

Related aircraft

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