During the first flight of the UK E-7 Wedgetail from Birmingham Airport, a Boeing flight-test crew performed functional checks, marking a significant milestone in the program's test and evaluation phase. Currently unpainted, the aircraft is one of three 737 NG aircraft on British soil undergoing modification by a highly skilled team of over 100 people at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham.
"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," said Stu Voboril, Boeing vice president and E-7 program manager. "Our team is committed to ensuring the E-7 delivers the safety, quality, and capabilities we've promised to our customer as we prepare to deliver the UK's first E-7 Wedgetail to the RAF."
Group Captain Richard Osselton, RAF Programme Director for Wedgetail said, "Achieving the first flight of Wedgetail is a significant milestone, representing an outstanding effort from the RAF programme team, DE&S, 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."
DE&S Director Air Support, Richard Murray, said, "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 battle-tested E-7 can detect and identify enemy targets from a long distance. It can track multiple airborne and maritime threats at the same time, providing 360-degree coverage using the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor. This system gives military personnel crucial awareness across different domains and an advantage in making command and control decisions.
"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," said Maria Laine, president of Boeing UK, Ireland and the Nordics. "We are committed to delivering this crucial capability to support the UK's national security and contribute toward regional stability."
The future UK E-7 fleet will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where Boeing's local suppliers and contractors are nearing completion of the infrastructure facilities to support its introduction into service.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is involved in a trilateral agreement with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to collaborate on Wedgetail interoperability, capability development, evaluation and testing, sustainment, operations, training, and safety.
The E-7 aircraft is operated by the RAAF, the Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Turkish Air Force. Boeing is currently constructing two rapid prototype E-7 aircraft for the USAF, and in 2023, NATO announced its selection of the E-7 for its AEW&C mission. The increasing global E-7 fleet offers interoperability of mission systems, enhanced mission readiness, cost advantages throughout its lifecycle, and a shared technical growth path to effectively counter global threats.
Later this year, following a series of flight tests and further evaluation, the aircraft will depart to a paint facility to receive its RAF livery.
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