NATO to Modernize AWACS Fleet with Boeing E-7A

The first of the E-7A surveillance aircraft is expected to be operational by 2031.

Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 12:29 PM ET

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NATO will update its aging airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet with the purchase of six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, it announced Wednesday. [Courtesy: NATO]

Key Takeaways:

NATO announced it will replace its aging airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet by purchasing six new Boeing E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft.
The E-7A Wedgetail, a military variant of the Boeing 737, will provide advanced radar capabilities to detect hostile aircraft, missiles, and ships at long distances.
These new aircraft will succeed the current E-3A AWACS fleet, operational since the 1980s, with the first E-7A expected to be operational by 2031 and the older fleet retired around 2035.
This investment in state-of-the-art technology is crucial for NATO's collective defense and adapts to a more unstable global environment.

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NATO will update its aging airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet with the purchase of six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, it announced Wednesday.

The E-7 Wedgetail, a military variant of the Boeing 737 jet, will be equipped with a radar able to detect hostile aircraft, missiles, and ships at great distances. It is set to replace NATO’s fleet of E-3A AWACS aircraft that have operated since the 1980s.