UK to Build E-7 Wedgetail Intelligence Aircraft for US Air Force
The UK Ministry of Defence announced on 18 September, that Britain will produce Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. Under a new UK–Boeing contract, two Boeing 737 commercial airframes will be converted into E-7A Wedgetail prototypes for the U.S. Air Force. The deal, which injects over £36 million into the British economy, is billed as the first time in more than 50 years that British industry will build a military plane for America. The UK govenment has emphasised how the move signals a deepening of the US–UK “special relationship” in defense, with both governments and Boeing at the center of the effort.
The Boeing E-7 Wedgetail is an advanced Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft derived from the Boeing 737-700 airliner. It features a Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar capable of tracking hundreds of air and sea targets over distances greater than 300 miles. The Wedgetail offers much faster scan rates, higher tracking accuracy, and lower operating costs compared to the USAF’s older E-3 Sentry AWACS. This modern sensor suite is designed to counter stealth fighters, cruise and ballistic missile threats, and to manage complex airspace in contested environments.
Assembly of the two US-bound Wedgetails will take place in Britain. Boeing is producing the 737-700 airframes in Renton, Washington and shipping them to STS Aviation’s conversion center in Birmingham for the E-7 outfitting. The UK’s Wedgetail program already supports about 190 skilled jobs nationwide (130 in Birmingham); the new contract will create roughly 150 additional jobs to modify and equip the two prototype aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force chose the E-7 Wedgetail in 2022 to replace its aging 1970s-vintage E-3 AWACS fleet. Its modern radar and digital systems greatly improve the USAF’s situational awareness for worldwide operations. Boeing had already signed a $2.6 billion deal to deliver the first two prototypes by 2028 as part of a planned 26-aircraft fleet. Britain’s Royal Air Force is acquiring three E-7 Wedgetails to enter service in 2026, restoring its airborne warning capability. UK Defence Secretary John Healey praised the deal as “a vote of confidence in Britain’s world-leading defence industry” that will “strengthen our collective security.”
The transatlantic workshare on the Wedgetail program reinforces NATO and “Five Eyes” integration. Using the same AEW&C system provides the US and UK with interoperable surveillance networks and a common logistics base. The two countries will share future upgrades and training, making joint operations more coordinated. The deal also mitigates global supply chain risks and reinforces the special defense partnership by strengthening allied sensor infrastructure.