In a sudden turn, the U.S. Air Force has scrapped its plans to acquire E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C in favour of the E-2D Hawkeye utilised by the U.S. Navy carriers.
The USAF’s sudden shift in preference for the AEW&C to succeed the ageing and large-sized E-3 Sentry represents not only a change in platform but also priorities.
Originally, the Boeing E-7, based on the Boeing 737 airliner fitted with Northrop Grumman’s MESA AESA radar, was set to succeed the four-engine E-3 Sentry as a modern jet-powered AEW&C.
The War Zone reported that senior USAF officials stated that the E-7 had been dropped off as the new AEW&C in favour of the E-2D Hawkeye operated by the U.S. Navy during a senate hearing.
The officials’ reasoning for dropping E-7 include the aircraft being expensive and “not survivable in a modern battlefield”. As a radical change, this has sparked a significant controversy.
E-7 Versus E-2D
Compared to E-2D, E-7 -as a larger, air force-minded, and jet-powered aircraft- has a longer operational radius- onboard aerial refuelling system through the boom, and a more powerful radar. However, this comes at the cost of maintenance costs and demanding runway requirements.
E-2D, as a far smaller and turboprop-powered aircraft built on naval operation requirements, uses the rotating type AN/APY-9 AESA radar that is not as powerful but has proven itself in cooperative engagement during a test with the SM-6 air defence missile.
E-2D’s main advantage over E-7 is its less demanding runway requirements due to being a carrier-based aircraft, which can allow for operations from remote areas that are not fully-fledged airbases. Additionally, transitioning to E-2D would be an easier job, considering the fact that the Navy has been using it for years.
However, E-2D lacks the same level of functionality as E-7, with a far smaller crew and less diversity of sensors. Additionally, aerial refuelling capability is limited to drogue chute as Navy aircraft use this method as the standard. These disadvantages are among the main reasons for the controversy. Thus, a modification might be brought up to accommodate E-2D to USAF standards.
More Than a Platform Change
Such radical change in direction for the new AEW&C represents some notes taken from the recent conflicts and the new perceptions associated with them.
With E-2D’s advantages and disadvantages in mind, it can be said that the USAF is moving away from flying command centres to sensor nodes that have less onboard but are more survivable and deployed far more easily than the large jet-powered platforms. As stated before, E-2D also means a quicker transition as one service branch already uses the aircraft actively.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
