NATO has selected six new E-7A Wedgetails from Boeing for its next generation of command and control aircraft. Boeing as the Alliance’s existing AWACS fleet is about to be decommissioned. The first new aircraft is scheduled to be operational in 2031.
“Surveillance and surveillance aircraft are critical to NATO’s collective defense, and I welcome the Allies’ commitment to invest in high-quality capabilities,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “By pooling resources, Allies can jointly purchase and operate critical assets that would be too expensive for individual countries to acquire. This investment in cutting-edge technology is a testament to the strength of transatlantic defense cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world.” https://militaeraktuell.at/rheinmetall-liefert-an-britische-warrior-flotte/ The E-7 Wedgetail is an advanced early warning and control aircraft that provides situational awareness, command and control capabilities. Equipped with a powerful radar, the aircraft can detect enemy aircraft, missiles and ships at long range and direct NATO fighter aircraft towards their targets. The United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey also fly the Wedgetail or are planning to deploy it. It is based on a militarized version of the 737 jetliner. NATO has been operating a fleet of AWACS aircraft (E-3A Airborne Warning and Control) since the 1980s. The aircraft stationed at the German airbase in Geilenkirchen have taken part in all major NATO operations, including the fight against ISIS and on NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The E-7 will also have its main base in Geilenkirchen and could operate from several forward locations in Europe. The Wedgetails will be part of the alliance’s future surveillance and control project, which will see NATO’s next generation of surveillance systems deployed from the mid-2030s.
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