E-7 Wedgetail Radar Jet The Pentagon Tried To Cancel Gets Over $1B In New Defense Bill
The War Zone • • nation
Key Points:
- A new draft defense spending bill proposes increasing U.S. Air Force funding for the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft to $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2026, significantly above prior authorizations.
- This funding boost marks a reversal from the Pentagon’s previous attempt to cancel the E-7 program, reflecting congressional support to continue development and transition to engineering and manufacturing stages.
- The E-7 is intended to replace the aging E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, offering improved radar, fuel economy, and expanded mission capabilities, with the platform already in use by Australia, South Korea, and Turkey.
- Congress has prohibited using funds to pause or terminate the E-7 program and blocked the retirement
