According to the US Aviation Week on May 12 local time, some sources said that as the Pentagon determines that the 2026 budget request is approaching, the US Air Force's plan to purchase 26 E-7A early warning aircraft is facing the threat of cancellation.

(Data photo) E-7A rendering renderings of the US Air Force painted by the US Air Force

(Data photo) E-7A rendering renderings of the US Air Force painted by the US Air Force

The source told Aviation Weekly that the current focus of debate inside the Pentagon is to cancel the budget for purchasing the E-7A and rely on a satellite-based radar system capable of "Air Moving Target Instructions" (AMTI) and "Ground Moving Target Instructions" (GMTI) missions to achieve functions, but the proposal faces resistance within the U.S. Air Force due to the necessity of combat management and command control functions.

The Pentagon is discussing whether satellite-based radar will be replaced by early warning aircraft

The Pentagon is discussing whether satellite-based radar will be replaced by early warning aircraft

The US Air Force E-7 early warning aircraft originated from the export-type E-737 "weed tail" early warning aircraft developed by Boeing for Australia at the beginning of this century. This early warning aircraft has been purchased by Australia, Turkey, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other countries. In 2022, the US Air Force officially decided to "export to domestic sales" of "weed tail" early warning aircraft, and use the number E-7A for its own use. In February 2023, the US Air Force Department signed an initial weapon system development contract with Boeing worth US$1.2 billion (equivalent to approximately RMB 8.342 billion at the exchange rate at that time).

A U.S. Air Force official said that negotiations with the Secretary of Defense are continuing to be held for the E-7A program, and that they will continue to work with the Secretary of Defense to advance the E-7A program during the formulation of the fiscal year 2026 budget application.

On May 6, at a hearing on the Defense Group of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee and Oklahoma, asked the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Alvin, who attended the meeting to comment on whether the E-7 early warning aircraft needs to be retained before the space-based AMTI capabilities are put into actual combat." Alvin admits that aircraft such as E-3 and E-7 that use top-mounted radars to track enemy aircraft and missiles face greater risks in modern warfare to perform air target detection, but he stressed that E-3A and E-7A combat management command and control tasks are necessary. For the E-7A, in addition to the general crew, there are about 10 aviation combat control officers on board to interpret radar data in real time and command friendly aircraft. Therefore, satellites cannot replace all tasks of early warning command aircraft. Alvin said that as the E-7 with stronger capabilities than the E-3, the mission is not only battlefield perception, but also full-link construction of perception, analysis and action.

Inside the British Air Force E-7 cabin, US Air Force officials believe that radar satellites cannot replace the real-time command and dispatch combat capabilities on human early warning aircraft

Inside the British Air Force E-7 cabin, US Air Force officials believe that radar satellites cannot replace the real-time command and dispatch combat capabilities on human early warning aircraft

In August last year, the US Air Force signed a contract with Boeing to convert two 737-700 aircraft into E-7A prototypes worth US$2.56 billion (the exchange rate was equivalent to about RMB 18.293 billion at the time). Boeing still plans to deliver the two prototypes in fiscal 2028. A Boeing spokesman said they plan to achieve the first flight of the U.S. Air Force's self-used E-7A "in the next few months", adding that Boeing looks forward to providing support for the development of the U.S. Air Force (early warning aircraft) platform capabilities and the improvement of the fleet system.

The Pentagon Office of Cost Analysis and Project Assessment sparked the controversy last winter. In February this year, U.S. Navy Secretary John Philan said in a written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that the study will provide a defined standard for joint air combat needs in a "high-end combat" environment. Feilan said that in the study, there is also an option to invest in the shore-based E-2D "Advanced Hawkeye" carrier-based early warning aircraft currently used in aircraft carrier formations.

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