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Profile: E-7A Wedgetail
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Like the Poseidon, the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail is a heavily modified military derivative of Boeing’s 737 aircraft, which boasts Northrop Grumman’s Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, and 10 mission crew consoles. These features allow the Wedgetail to track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously and make the aircraft one of the world’s most advanced in airspace battle management technologies.
The Wedgetail is equipped with multiple radars and tech that allows it to scan and communicate with up to 80 aircraft and ground and sea units over a distance of up to 4 million square kilometres during a single 10-hour mission. The RAAF’s six Wedgetails are operated by No. 2 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Williamtown.
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Last seen: February 2022, taking part in global interoperability exercise Cope North in Guam, alongside the United States Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Koku-Jieitai).
Purchased: December 2000
First delivered: 2009
Number in fleet: 6
Career highlight: Between 2014 and 2020, all six of RAAF’s Wedgetail aircraft were rotated to the Middle East to perform airborne command and control under Operation Okra, the Australian Defence Force’s contribution to the US-led Coalition to combat the Daesh terrorist threat in Iraq. Over 550 missions were flown over the period, which included a mission sortie of 17.3 hours flown, the longest flight recorded from a Boeing 737 airframe.
Manufacturer: Boeing
Wingspan: 34.3m
Range: 7,040km
Max Speed: 955km/h
Capacity: Pilot, co-pilot, + 10 mission consoles
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