UK may expand E-7 early warning aircraft fleet
The new UK Government has refused to rule out the potential expansion of its planned E-7 Wedgetail fleet as part of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review.
This follows a written parliamentary question from Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham.
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of a fleet of three E-7 Wedgetail aircraft in delivery of (a) sovereign AEW&C capability, (b) the UK’s NATO commitments and (c) both concurrently.”
Maria Eagle MP stated, “The upcoming Strategic Defence Review will consider the threats Britain faces, the capabilities needed to meet them, the state of UK Armed Forces and the resources available. It will ensure a ‘NATO-first’ policy is at the heart of Britain’s Defence plans.”
The E-7 Wedgetail fleet was initially planned to consist of five airframes. However, the previous Conservative government decided to purchase only three aircraft following the Integrated Review, despite the initial analysis indicating a need for five to ensure operational flexibility.
At a Defence Committee meeting last year, Air Chief Marshal Wigston defended the decision but also expressed a desire for an expanded fleet in the future. He stated, “My focus now is absolutely on delivering the three that we have signed up to and getting them into service as quickly as we can, so that they enhance the frontline and contribute to NATO.”
During the Defence Committee meeting, Air Chief Marshal Wigston also highlighted the importance of having a larger fleet, noting that “our original analysis identified that the number to give our political decision-makers choice, to bring resilience to the force and to add the value you talk about from this phenomenal platform, which really multiplies the force, was five airframes.”
An industry insider, who wished to remain anonymous, told me, “I believe the UK is actively considering expanding its future fleet of early warning aircraft. They have consistently avoided ruling out this possibility, which suggests to me that discussions are ongoing.”
As the Strategic Defence Review kicks off, the possibility of expanding the E-7 Wedgetail fleet will likely be carefully considered, but who knows?
