Air Force cancels E-7 Wedgetail, citing survivability and cost concerns
"We are bullish on space, and we think that’s a capability that can be achieved actually faster than the E-7 will deliver at this point," a senior military official said.
By Valerie Insinna
on June 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
A static display of the Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail, recognizable for its distinctive “top hat” radar. (Michael Marrow/Breaking Defense)
WASHINGTON — The Air Force has canceled the E-7 Wedgetail program due to ballooning costs and concerns about survivability, a senior military official confirmed today.
The termination, announced as part of the fiscal 2026 budget rollout, comes after months of rumors that the Boeing-helmed aircraft program was in danger as the Trump administration increasingly sets its sights on instead using space-based capabilities to help warplanes find and track enemy aircraft, known as the air moving target indicator (AMTI) mission.
“The Department is canceling the E-7 Wedgetail program due to significant delays with cost increases from $588 million to $724 million for aircraft and survivability concerns in this contested environment, while investing in alternate solutions, including space-based capabilities and adding additional E-2D aircraft,” the senior military official told reporters in a briefing today.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/air-force-cancels-e-7-wedgetail-citing-survivability-and-cost-concerns/
