Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed the first flight of the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail for the Royal Air Force (RAF), marking a significant milestone in the aircraft’s test and evaluation phase. A Boeing flight-test crew conducted functional checks during the first flight from Birmingham Airport. The aircraft, still unpainted, is one of three 737 NG planes currently undergoing modification by a team of over 100 specialists 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 for the delivery of the UK’s first E-7 Wedgetail to the RAF.”
Group Captain Richard Osselton, RAF Programme Director for Wedgetail, praised the achievement: “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.”
Richard Murray, DE&S Director of Air Support, added, “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.”
E-7 Wedgetail Capabilities
The combat-proven E-7 is equipped with the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor, which provides 360-degree coverage and can detect and track multiple airborne and maritime threats simultaneously. The system gives military commanders critical multi-domain awareness and enhances decision-making in both air and maritime environments.
Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail is already in service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Turkish Air Force. The aircraft’s interoperability, mission readiness, and lifecycle cost efficiency offer significant advantages. Additionally, Boeing is building two rapid prototype E-7 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), and NATO selected the E-7 for its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) mission.
Future Plans for the E-7 Wedgetail
Boeing has committed to delivering a fleet of E-7 aircraft to support the UK’s national security. The RAF’s future E-7 fleet will be based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where local suppliers and contractors are nearing completion of the necessary infrastructure to support the aircraft’s introduction into service.
The UK E-7 Wedgetail programme is part of a broader collaboration between the RAF, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the U.S. Air Force. This trilateral agreement focuses on cooperative interoperability, capability development, evaluation and testing, sustainment, operations, training, and safety.
Following a series of flight tests and evaluations, the aircraft will depart for a paint facility later this autumn to receive its official RAF livery.
