Aviation and Airlines (Commonwealth Union) _ A report by the UK Defence Committee has criticized the Royal Air Force’s E-7A AEW1 Airborne Early Warning and Control program, stating that it represents poor value for money. The report highlights the decision to reduce the original order of five aircraft to three as a significant flaw, as having a small number of aircraft makes them vulnerable targets for enemy forces. Additionally, the Initial Operating Capability target for the program may be delayed until 2025. Despite the reduction in aircraft, the procurement report estimates that the E-7 program will still cost £1.89 billion ($2.5 billion), only slightly less than the £2.1 billion ($2.7 billion) agreed in the original order.
The report criticizes the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Boeing for their failure to agree on a Full Business Case (FBC) planning phase and an in-service support contract. The support contract should have been finalized by now according to the report. The MoD claims to have made savings of £720 million ($943 million) through decisions on the E-7, but has not provided further details on the delay in the support contract with Boeing.
The report also mentions other issues that have previously been reported, including manufacturing setbacks and workforce issues caused by COVID-19, as well as the retirement of the E-3D Sentry, which has created a three-year gap in AEW&C capability. The report states that the upcoming aviation procurement report will likely examine the operational impact and alleged life-cycle savings resulting from the decision to acquire only three aircraft.
Despite these challenges, the production of the three Wedgetail platforms for the UK is underway, with one aircraft already having its MESA radar installed. The other two aircraft are following behind and are expected to be completed within six months. Boeing remains confident that the E-7 will have a strong demand in the region, and a trilateral agreement has been signed between Australia, the UK, and the US to collaborate on Wedgetail capability development, interoperability, and other areas.
Overall, the report raises concerns about the value for money and operational readiness of the E-7 program, emphasizing the need for improved decision-making and coordination between the UK MoD and Boeing.
