The UK's decision to cut its order for Boeing E-7A Wedgetail AEW1 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft from five examples to three has been described as an "absolute folly" in a damning new report by an influential group of MPs.
They said that the move to reduce the initial order of five aircraft to three, which the report says was ordered by ministers to cut costs, leaves the RAF with a serious capability gap and is a “false economy”. It has also emerged that the contract leaves the Ministry of Defence (MOD) still obliged to buy five sophisticated radar systems, despite only having three airframes.
The MOD was also criticised for the decision to retire the RAF’s Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in 2021, long before the Wedgetail could enter service, leaving the RAF with a serious capability gap.
