Defence has selected Northrop Grumman Australia as its preferred industry partner and will invest an…
USAF to develop AMTI capability in place of E-7 Wedgetail?
The US Air Force and Space Force have initiated a major procurement effort to develop and field Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indication (SB-AMTI) radar systems, says USSC in a media release. EX2 understands that USSF has opted for a multi-vendor capability, rather than rely on a single contractor. It released a classified Request for Information (RFI) in February, closing 20 February, to inform the SB-AMTI acquisition process.
The RFI for SB-AMTI marks a strategic shift from traditional airborne radar platforms such as the Boeing 737-based E-7 Wedgetail, says web site Govly.com (app.govly.com). This initiative is supported by a $7 billion budget request for FY2027 (which begins towards the end of this calendar year) aimed at rapidly advancing space-based sensing capabilities to enhance global tracking in contested environments, the web site adds.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there are space-based alternatives for the E-7 and other crewed Airborne Early Warning (AEW) platforms when he tried to cancel acquisition of the E-7 Wedgetail, a move the US Congress has resisted, restoring a significant part of the funding Hegseth had originally cancelled.
Concurrently, Govly.com reports, the Pentagon is reviewing future funding decisions for the E-7 program. The USAF and USSF leadership emphasize scalable requirements and phased competition to achieve economies of scale and operational increments for the SB-AMTI capability, according to the US Space Force.
“We have designed the requirements around scalability so we can use the procurement funding lines to actually achieve that economy of scale with industry,” said GEN Chance Saltzman, the Chief of Space Force.
It’s not clear how or whether the cancelation of E-7 by the USAF affects the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Australia’s Integrated Investment Program (IIP) published last week sets aside $15 billion for replacement of the RAAF’s six E-7A Wedgetails during the 2027-2036 decade, but doesn’t say what might replace them.
This procurement signals a significant modernization of US radar tracking assets, says Govly.com, prioritizing space-based systems that can operate in contested domains, which could impact defence contractors specializing in satellite and radar technologies.
“The capability that the E-7 will provide is an important capability, and so we need to look at what we’re going to do going forward,” said Troy Meink, the Secretary of the Air Force. “We’re finalizing those decisions within the Pentagon about how we want to do that, and we’ll roll that out to the Hill when it’s appropriate.”
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