A major deal has been made between Boeing and the Air Force on a $2.56 billion deal to build two prototype E-7A Wedgetail planes.
The advanced E-7A Wedgetail is a flying early warning and control airplane that was made to replace the older E-3 Sentry systems.
It looks different from other planes because it is based on the Boeing 737 and has cutting-edge technology and a fixed radar dish on top.
The E-7A's cutting-edge electronically scanned array radar makes it better at battle management and command and control from the air.
This makes sure that people are more aware of their surroundings and gives them choices for engaging complex threats from a distance.
The E-7A tries to stay ahead of changing threats by quickly adding new technologies.
Dan Gillian from Boeing talked about how the plane's job is to continuously scan the sky, command and control the battlespace,
and combine data from different domains to give the military a strategic lead. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Andrew Hunter talked about how the deal would help the-
Air Force improve its ability to show moving targets and how it would also support ally assets and knowledge.
The UK and NATO will soon join Australia, South Korea, and Turkey in using the Wedgetail. The U.S. Air Force hopes to have a fleet of 26 by 2032, making it an important part of their combat arsenal.
When the Royal Australian Air Force, the British Royal Air Force, and the U.S. Air Force work together, they make sure that they can grow together and run their operations more efficiently.
Boeing's deal also includes training, life cycle support, and the delivery of working prototypes by fiscal year 2028. This will be the start of a new age in integrated battlespace awareness.