The Wedgetail AEW1 is the Royal Air Force’s future airborne early warning and control aircraft, acquired to replace the ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet. Based on the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail and derived from the Boeing 737-700 airframe, the Wedgetail AEW1 combines long-range radar surveillance, airborne battle management, and command-and-control capabilities in a single aircraft. The UK originally ordered five aircraft in 2019 before reducing the fleet to three under the 2021 Integrated Review. The aircraft are being modified in Britain by STS Aviation Services at Birmingham Airport, with RAF service entry expected later in the 2020s following programme delays. Equipped with the Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, the Wedgetail AEW1 is designed to detect and track airborne and maritime targets over very long distances while coordinating fighters, tankers, and NATO assets in real time. The aircraft will be operated by No. 8 Squadron RAF from RAF Lossiemouth and is intended to restore the RAF’s dedicated airborne early warning capability following the retirement of the E-3D Sentry fleet in 2021. Despite programme delays and the reduced fleet size, the Wedgetail remains a central part of Britain’s future air defence and NATO surveillance capability.
