Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Airborne early warning and control system aircraft

Power Plant:

Two 27,000 lbst CFM International CFM56-7 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

The Boeing E-7A AEW & C was an adaptation of the Boeing Business Jet variant of the 737, combining the fuselage of the Model 737-500 with the strengthened wing and undercarriage of the Model 737-800. Developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, the companies announced they hoped to sell the aircraft on the world markets to military services. Additional changes included extra fuel tanks in what was formerly the baggage hold, and fuel dump valves in the wings. On the wingtip were electronic support measures (ESM) system antennas; blisters in the nose and tail sensors for the AAR-54 missile warning receiver; and on the tail a mount for the AAQ-24 infrared countermeasures turret.

The system, known as the Australian Project Air 5077 Wedgetail after the Australian native eagle, was proposed by Boeing Australia Ltd, BAE Systems Australia, and Qantas Defence Service, the selection of the type being announced on 21 July 1999 by the Australian Government.

The Wedgetail platform, as the first of a new breed, has been used to develop technologies for the USAF’s Northrop Grumman E-10 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The radar was located on a dorsal fin on top of the fuselage, and was designed for minimal aerodynamic effect. Another modification was ventral fins to counterbalance the radar. The cabin featured eight operator consoles with sufficient space for four more. The Australian aircraft operated with ten consoles with space for two more.

The 2000 Australian Government Defence White Paper allowed for a contract to be signed in December that year for four machines with options for up to a further three. That deal included two extra sets of radar systems, but in the event the order changed to six aircraft, four of the aircraft to be fitted out in Brisbane, QLD. The AEW & C aircraft were to be operated by No 2 Squadron. The first two aircraft were planned for delivery in 2006, the second two in 2007, to be based at RAAF Williamtown, NSW with two aircraft permanently deployed to RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory, the squadron to be fully operational by 2008. However, there were some delays in the program.

In November 2006 it was announced that delivery of the first aircraft to the RAAF had been delayed to late in 2007 due to “testing problems with radar and sensor computer systems”, delivery later being put back to late 2008.

The Airbone Early Warning & Control program involved an airborne system combining the high-performance Boeing 737-700IGW aircraft with an L-Band multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar mounted above the rear fuselage providing a stationary antenna 10.7 m (35 ft) long and 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in) in height. This was a 360 degree electronically steerable radar able to track air and sea targets simultaneously, and could help the operator track high-performance aircraft whilst continuously scanning the operational area. Included in the platform was an advanced Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system; an expanded, passive electronic surveillance system; a flexible open-system architecture; and a highly effective self-defence capability. Maximum detection range was said to exceed 400 km (249 miles). Patrol endurance was nine hours at 555 km (345 miles) from base and could be extended by aerial refueling.

The type has also been ordered by Turkey, with an order for four and an option for two, the South Korean Air Force and Britain’s Royal Air Force.

The first Australian Model 737-7ES aircraft A30-001 (c/n 33474- ex-N378BC) was first shown to the public at Boeing Field, Seattle, in Washington State, on 20 March 2004 in the markings of No 2 Squadron RAAF, making its first flight on that date. Serials A30-001 to A30-006 were allotted to the series.

In March 2005 A30-001 was flown to Australia and demonstrated to service personnel at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon, VIC later returning to the United States to complete testing. A second aircraft (A30-002) was completed in the United States in 2005, underwent testing and was delivered to Amberley, QLD as N361BJ (c/n 33477). On 16 January 2006 the third ‘green’ Wedgetail aircraft N359BJ (c/n 33476) arrived at RAAF Amberley and was officially handed over by Boeing Australia to the Minister for Defence, being the first to be taken into the Boeing facility at Amberley for conversion, taking 13 months and 100,000 man hours per aircraft, becoming A30-003 in 2007.

During the search in March and April 2014 for the missing Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines (Flight MH-370) off Australia’s west coast in the Indian Ocean the Boeing E-7A Wedgetails of the RAAF, as they were now known, were involved in the search, aircraft involved including A30-001, A30-002, A30-003 and A30-005.

In September 2014 an RAAF Wedgetail (A30-002), along with an Airbus KC-30A and a up to eight Boeing FA-18F Super Hornets, was flown to Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai in thle United Arab Emirates where they joined aircraft from the US, Britain, France and other nations in operations against Islamic State terrorists in Iraq, the E-7A Wedgetail command and control aircraft commencing missions over southern Iraq and co-ordinating air operations with movements of Iraqi forces on the ground. The Australian unit became known as the ATG (Air Task Group) and 400 RAAF support personnel and 200 ground troops were deployed.

In May 2015 the Minister for Defence and the RAAF announced the E-7A Wedgetail had achieved operational capability after proving itself on operations in Iraq, where the aircraft had been deployed on operation ‘Okra’, having completed more than 100 surveillance sorties in concert with coalition partners and flown more than 1,200 hours.

In mid 2017 the Australian Government approved an up-grade of the RAAFs six E-7A Wedgetail AEW & C aircraft under Project AIR 5077 Phase 5A over a six year, three-release program, Boeing to install new advanced combat identification sensors, tactical data links, communications hardware and encryption systems, with mission computing hardware and software up-grades. The six examples delivered to the RAAF comprised A30-001 (c/n 33474 – ex N378BC), A30-002 (c/n 33542 – ex N358BJ), A30-003 (c/n 33476 – ex N359BJ), A30-004 (c/n 33477 – ex N361BJ), A30-005 (c/n 33986 – ex N363BJ) and A30-006 (c/n 33987 – ex N364BJ), the former American registrations being allotted to the aircraft during early flight testing in the United States.