The UK is set to build an early warning surveillance aircraft for the US Air Force for the first time in 50 years, a deal that officials said could signal a shift in transatlantic defense collaboration.
Under the contract, the UK and US aircraft manufacturer Boeing will convert two Boeing 737 airframes into E-7A Wedgetail airborne early‐warning and control prototypes for the US.
The agreement is expected to inject more than 36 million pounds ($48 million) into the British economy.
It also builds on an existing UK program, with the Royal Air Force already ordering three E-7 Wedgetails, due to enter service in 2026, to replace its retired E-3D Sentry fleet and restore airborne early warning cover.
Can Washington Stop the Deal?
The US government under President Donald Trump earlier moved to cancel its E-7 Wedgetail program, selected in 2022 to replace the E-3 Sentry, after shifting focus toward orbital systems that could provide similar functions.
A senior defense official said the administration decided to prioritize space-based sensing to support homeland defense and security in the Indo-Pacific.
But US lawmakers are pushing back. Congress has added a provision to the draft defense authorization bill that would bar the Pentagon from canceling its contract with Boeing or shutting down production. The bill has passed the House and now heads to the Senate.
Defense Secretary John Healey said the new deal highlights a stronger US-UK defense relationship, especially in “making defense an engine for growth and strengthening our collective security.”
“This deal is a vote of confidence in Britain’s world-leading defense industry and delivers on the commitments set out in our Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy, making us secure at home and strong abroad,” he said.
The announcement follows the launch of the UK’s Defense Industrial Strategy, which unveiled 250 million pounds ($336 million) for new defense growth deals across the country.
