The final two Multi-Role-Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) surveillance radar being built for the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) programme will be delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) later this year, the UK government has said.
Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the United States, the MESA radar is the lead sensor of the UK’s future E-7 AEW&C fleet, which will number just three aircraft, down from an initial plan to acquire five platforms for the RAF.
As a result of the fleet reduction, MESA radars four and five will not be fitted to any aircraft and instead serve as spares and repairs resources. Each radar costs around £60m ($74.6m).
According to figures released in December 2022 the three E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft due to enter service were to cost up to £630m each, despite savings resulting from reducing the planned buy down from an initial five platforms.
In reworking the acquisition, the UK Ministry of Defence at the time cut £265m off the expected programme cost for the three aircraft to £1.89bn, down from £2.155bn originally.
When will the UK’s MESA radars arrive?
In a series of written parliamentary written responses on the E-7 programme on 27 January 2025, UK Minister for Defence Procurement Maria Eagle stated three MESA system had been delivered, with the remaining two in production with Northrop Grumman and to be delivered “in summer 2025”.
However, another response stated that the estimated whole life cost of the E-7 Wedgetail fleet remained “subject to approval of the Full Business Case”.
The absence of Full Business Case approval is notable, with Boeing completing the inaugural test flight of the first E-7 in September 2024.
The UK’s Labour government stated in July 2024 that it had no plans to order additional E-7 Wedgetails for the RAF, a stance that could leave a shortfall in critical national security capability.
Prior to the E-7, the UK operated seven of the preceding E-3D AWACS aircraft, with the lack of a like-for-like replacement in terms of airframe numbers just one of a series of examples of the diminishing returns for UK taxpayers regarding defence spending.
