DefenseRAF Debuts E-7 Wedgetail in Formation Flight with Red Arrows at RIAT 2025
The Royal Air Force (RAF) new E-7 Wedgetail AEW Mk1 made its debut public flypast alongside the Red Arrows during the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025 at RAF Fairford on July 19.
The event brought together more than 50,000 spectators and featured the Red Arrows flying in formation with the RAF’s first next-generation airborne surveillance aircraft.
The flypast, followed by a touch-and-go maneuver, highlighted not just the symbolic handover of new capabilities to the RAF, but also the operational progress of the E-7 Wedgetail program. Group Captain Osselton, Programme Director for the E-7, called the event a testament to the collaboration between industry partners and the RAF, aimed at ensuring UK forces retain cutting-edge situational awareness and battle management capabilities.
Based on the Boeing 737 NG airframe, the E-7 Wedgetail is intended to replace the retired E-3D Sentry fleet and offers significant improvements in radar range, mission endurance, and system integration.
The aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art multi-domain workstations that support surveillance, command, and control missions across air, maritime, and ground theaters.
The future fleet of three E-7s will be operated by No. 8 Squadron from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, sharing a logistical and operational footprint with the RAF’s fleet of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Developed by Boeing and incorporating components from UK industry partners, the E-7 is also used by the air forces of Australia, South Korea, and Turkey, and has been selected by the United States Air Force although the service is now considering its cancellation.
The platform is widely regarded as the most capable airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft currently in service.
Boeing’s Vice President for the E-7 program, Stu Voboril, noted the aircraft’s flight at RIAT as “an amazing testament” to the UK’s industrial and defense partnership and highlighted the role of the E-7 in “strengthening global joint force mission advantage.”
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