[By Guancha Observer Network, Mountain Cat]

According to a report by Aviation Week on May 12 local time, sources said that as the Pentagon approaches the deadline for its 2026 budget request, the U.S. Air Force's plan to purchase 26 E-7A airborne early warning aircraft faces the threat of cancellation.

(Photo) U.S. Air Force E-7A rendering效果图 - U.S. Air Force

The source told Aviation Week that the focus of internal discussions within the Pentagon is on canceling the E-7A purchase budget and relying on satellite-based radar systems capable of "Airborne Moving Target Indication" (AMTI) and "Ground Moving Target Indication" (GMTI) missions, but due to the necessity of operational management and command control functions, this proposal faces resistance within the U.S. Air Force.

The Pentagon is discussing whether satellite-based radar will replace airborne early warning aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force E-7 airborne early warning aircraft originates from Boeing's export version E-737 "Wedgetail" airborne early warning aircraft developed in the early 2000s. This type of airborne early warning aircraft has been purchased by countries such as Australia, Turkey, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. In 2022, the U.S. Air Force officially decided to "export it domestically" for self-use, with the designation E-7A. In February 2023, the U.S. Department of the Air Force signed an initial weapons system development contract worth $1.2 billion (approximately RMB 8.342 billion at the time) with Boeing.

A U.S. Air Force official stated that they are continuing negotiations with the Office of the Secretary of Defense regarding the E-7A program and will continue to work with the Office of the Secretary of Defense to advance the E-7A program during the formulation of the 2026 fiscal year budget application.

On May 6, at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee, Republican Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma requested that General David Alvin, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, comment on whether the E-7 airborne early warning aircraft still needs to be retained before the space-based AMTI capability is put into practical use. Alvin acknowledged that models like the E-3 and E-7, which use top-mounted airborne radars to track enemy aircraft and missiles, face greater risks in modern warfare when executing aerial target detection tasks, but he emphasized that the operational management command and control tasks of E-3A and E-7A are necessary. For the E-7A, in addition to regular crew members, there are about 10 aviation combat controllers aboard to interpret radar data in real-time and command friendly aircraft, so satellites cannot replace all the tasks of airborne early warning command aircraft. Alvin stated that compared to the E-3, the E-7 not only performs battlefield perception but also builds the entire chain of perception, judgment, and action.

Interior of the British Air Force E-7 cabin, U.S. Air Force officials believe that radar satellites cannot replace the real-time command dispatch combat capabilities of manned airborne early warning aircraft.

In August last year, the U.S. Air Force signed a contract with Boeing to modify two 737-700 aircraft into E-7A prototype aircraft for $2.56 billion (approximately RMB 18.293 billion at the time). Boeing still plans to deliver these two prototype aircraft in the 2028 fiscal year. A Boeing spokesperson said they plan to achieve the first flight of the U.S. Air Force's own version of the E-7A "in the coming months" and added that Boeing looks forward to supporting the development of the U.S. Air Force's airborne early warning platform capabilities and the improvement of the fleet system.

Last winter, the Pentagon's Cost Analysis and Program Evaluation Office conducted a comprehensive review of the Joint Air Management System, which sparked the above controversy. In February, U.S. Navy Secretary John Fialan mentioned in his written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing that this study would define standards for joint air operations requirements in "high-end combat" environments. Fialan stated that this study also includes an option to add investment for land-based deployment of the current E-2D "Advanced Hawkeye" carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft used in carrier strike groups.

This article is an exclusive piece by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/750383231972915/

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