Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail to patrol supply routes of military aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainska Pravda echoes a U.S. call to Australia to deploy a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing E-7A Wedgetail electronic warfare aircraft in Germany to protect the international flow of aid to Ukraine. It comes into operation this week, as scheduled.

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An RAAF Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft assigned to 2 Sqn, RAAF Amberly, lands at Nellis AFB, Nevada, on Jan. 30. 2020 (Picture source: USAF/William R. Lewis)

In July 2023, Australia announced it would send an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail to Germany to patrol routes for the delivery of humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. The aircraft is about to be based in Germany for about half a year and will be serviced by around 100 Australian military and support personnel. This aircraft will be responsible for early warning in the event of any external threats on Ukraine’s territory regarding the routes of humanitarian and military aid.

The United States also welcomes Australia’s recent statement that it will provide Ukraine with an additional US$13 million in military aid, including anti-drone and mine clearance equipment.

Boeing E-7A Wedgetail

The E-7A Wedgetail provides Australia with one of the most advanced airspace battle management capabilities in the world. The Wedgetail’s ability to coordinate a joint air, sea and land battle in real time significantly increases the effectiveness of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Operated by No. 2 Squadron, Air Force’s 6 E-7A Wedgetail aircraft are based at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle.

Based on the Boeing 737-700 series aircraft, the Wedgetail has been modified for the modern battlespace. Simultaneous tracking of airborne and maritime targets is made possible through the addition of:
* an advanced Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar
* 10 mission crew consoles.

The Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical/strategic voice and data communications systems to provide an airborne early warning and control platform. During a standard mission, the E-7A Wedgetail can cover more than four million square kilometres, an area the size of Western Australia or the Northern Territory. It is capable of unlimited long-range deployment with in-flight refuelling.