Defense Department Considering Switch from Wedgetail Acquisition to Navy's Hawkeye and Satellite System instead.
Let's Talk Airforce's E-7 Wedgetail: A Potential Dump, Moving Towards Space
Looks like the Pentagon is considering scrapping the Air Force's plan to obtain the E-7 Wedgetail. The reasoning behind this decision revolves around moving the airborne target-tracking mission into space. Defense bigwigs have hinted at this transition at recent hearings.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned this potential change while discussing the 2026 defense budget and beyond. If the E-7 isn't suitable for the modern battlefield or provides no advantage in a future fight, tough decisions must be made, Hegseth explained.
The E-7 Wedgetail, initially selected in 2022 to replace the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, was supposed to offer enhanced capabilities as the Air Force phased the mission into space. However, concerns over the airliner-based E-7's vulnerability to attack, prototype delays, and cost issues have sparked a reconsideration of alternatives.
Hegseth referred to the Wedgetail as "late, more expensive, and 'gold-plated.'" He suggested that transitioning to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) could provide a more effective solution, given the numerous challenges that must be addressed.
As a short-term solution, the U.S. military is seeking to expand the E-2D Hawkeye fleet to manage the mission while creating a network of space-based sensors that offer early warning of incoming threats. Hawkeyes, already in operation for the Navy, could support a diminishing AWACS fleet and run from aircraft carriers and austere bases unable to accommodate airliners like the E-7.
Despite these developments, some airpower experts, like retired Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, argue handing off the airborne warning and control role to the Hawkeye would be reckless. He maintains that such a move could jeopardize America’s air superiority and future success in any conflict with advanced adversaries.
In reality, space assets might not be ready to take the reins for several decades, Deptula emphasizes. Moreover, satellites cannot replicate the real-time force management, surveillance, and combat orchestration that troops aboard jets provide.
Airpower elites have grappled with finding a solution to modernize their command-and-control aircraft for years. The Air Force's proposed fix, the Advanced Battle Management System, is still under development.
The proposed transition to space-based ISR has sparked questions about its impact on military readiness. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, whose district contains an AWACS squadron, voiced concerns about the squadron's current state, with only half of the fleet operational.
The E-3 AWACS fleet's mission-capable rate dropped to just 55% in 2024, according to Air Force data. Given the squadron's fragile state, it seems risky to depend on makeshift solutions until the new system is in place, as Murkowski pointed out.
Congress could intervene if they disagree with the move away from airborne solutions like the E-7. Some lawmakers have expressed support for the E-7, including Oklahoma's House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole. Cole, representing the E-3 fleet based in Oklahoma, urged caution when considering abandoning tried-and-true aircraft for experimental technology that could squander billions of dollars.
It appears that the Pentagon is prepared to scrutinize the E-7 program further as this debate continues. While a shift in priorities towards space-based ISR is evident, it's crucial to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of abandoning traditional airborne assets like the E-7.
- The Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, suggested transitioning to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as a more effective solution, considering the numerous challenges that the E-7 Wedgetail might face.
- The E-2D Hawkeye fleet is being considered for expansion to manage the mission, while a network of space-based sensors offers early warning of incoming threats as a short-term solution.
- Some airpower experts, like retired Lieutenant General Dave Deptula, argue that handing off the airborne warning and control role to the Hawkeye could jeopardize America’s air superiority and future success in any conflict with advanced adversaries.
- The proposed transition to space-based ISR has sparked questions about its impact on military readiness, with concerns raised by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski about the current state of the AWACS squadron, whose fleet's mission-capable rate dropped to just 55% in 2024.
- The Air Force's proposed fix, the Advanced Battle Management System, is still under development, and Congress could intervene if they disagree with the move away from airborne solutions like the E-7, with some lawmakers showing support for the E-7 and expressing concerns over the experimental technology's potential costs.
- The Pentagon is prepared to scrutinize the E-7 program further, as the debate over the potential dump of the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail and the shift towards space-based ISR continues, and it is crucial to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of abandoning traditional airborne assets like the E-7.
