The fiscal 2024 minibus, enacted in March, contains a $200 million congressional add over the U.S. Air Force request for the Boeing [BA] E-7 Wedgetail, and House appropriators have advised adding another $400 million in fiscal 2025.
That $600 million research and development add over two years would be in line with what Air Force leaders have said is needed to begin building long-lead items in fiscal 2024.
Last year, the service said that Congress could push up fielding of the E-7 from one in fiscal 2029 to two in fiscal 2028, if lawmakers fully funded the $596 million for Wedgetail on the service’s fiscal 2024 wish list (Defense Daily, May 8, 2023).
The Air Force also said that, if Congress were to provide the $596 million, long-lead items for the first two E-7As would begin production in fiscal 2024.
The Air Force has wanted to replace at least 15 of the venerable Boeing E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes for airborne moving target indication.
The service has been eyeing potential improvements for the E-7’s communications and radar systems (Defense Daily, July 31, 2023).
Improvements upon the Northrop Grumman [NOC] Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar could increase range and allow the radar to detect small radar cross section targets, the Air Force has said.
Beyond the E-7 funding add, House appropriators also advised increasing procurement funds for some aircraft in fiscal 2025 beyond the Air Force request, including an add of $400 million for 10 Lockheed Martin [LMT] HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters and nearly $196 million for two more Lockheed Martin F-35As.