Northrop Produces State of the Art Airborne Sensors for US Air Force E-7 Aircraft

American aerospace and defense technology giant Northrop Grumman will kick-start its production of the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor for the future US Air Force (USAF) E-7 aircraft.

Built by Boeing, the E-7 aircraft is the next-generation Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) developed to replace the nearly half-a-decade-old E-3 Sentry (also known as the Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS) and serve as the backbone of tactical battle management with “unparalleled abilities to scan the skies, communicate with surface, ground, and air assets, and enable integration across the joint force.”

Earlier this month, the USAF awarded Boeing the building contract for the first batch of E-7A with an expected 26 units worth around $1.2 billion. Negotiations on the new aircraft have been in the works since last year after the service branch decided to replace its aging E-3, which launched in the 1970s. With roughly 13 of the latter in the process of retirement (almost half of the fleet) this year, the USAF hopes to induct the modernized battlefield management aircraft by fiscal 2027.

During wartime, the AEW&C system is fielded to provide fighter jets command and control in the battlespace, transmitting critical information on incoming strikes from detecting hostile aircraft, ships, armored vehicles, missiles, etc., at long ranges.

Because of its mobility in the air, the AEW&C system is less vulnerable to counterattacks than ground-based radars.

Enhanced Command and Control

Northrop’s latest MESA sensor will be integrated into the weapon system of the E-7, providing a significant boost to its “critical long-range sensing, detection, and identification in challenging environments.”

In a statement, Northrop’s vice president of airborne surveillance programs, Ed Griebel, explained that “[t]he multifunction MESA sensor will provide the US Air Force with critical multi-domain awareness to enable decision superiority for the range of mission requirements today and into the future.”

He continued: “As we fulfill our promise to the USAF to rapidly bring unmatched, decisive air battle management sensing capabilities, including long-range first detect and first engagement in the battlespace, we look forward to enabling global allied interoperability in partnership with Boeing.”

Besides improved command and control efficiency, the MESA sensor also facilitates operators’ enhanced verifying of cryptology, advanced waveforms, and other related approaches essential for better warfighting protection. Likewise, it possesses a better aircraft identification system to determine friend from foe.

Apart from the US, Northrop’s modern sensor has already been in production and delivered to its customers worldwide, providing each with “360-degree situational awareness and flexibility to adapt to missions and environments in all weather conditions,” it said via press release. As well as enabling its operators with timely Battle Management Command and Control decisions.

Already in Use with Other Air Forces

The USAF’s E-7 AEW&C variant is based on the next-generation airframe of the Boeing 737 and is currently in service with Australia, South Korea, and Turkey. Meanwhile, a fleet production of the E-7 (“Wedgetail“) has also been underway for the Royal Air Force, with a target commissioning schedule for next year.

With the concerning tensions stirring, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, Britain aims to bolster its role as a reliable ally and has been working on strengthening its presence alongside the US.

In February, USAF Secretary Frank Kendall and British defense official James Heappey met to discuss collaboration on the E-7 Wedgetail program, “including ways to accelerate US Air Force procurement and fielding of the platform and the importance of achieving maximum interoperability.”

The USAF has previously expressed interest in acquiring the modern battlespace management system, which was introduced in 2012.

General Mark D. Kelly, chief of Air Combat Command, stated in October 2021 that he wanted the E-7 in the fleet “two years ago,” effectively replacing the “old and rickety” E-3s.

The E-3 is “unsustainable without a Herculean effort,” Kelly said, and while there are “miracle workers” in the maintenance force that keep it flying, “there’s only so many miracles [they] … can pull off before physics come into play on a 45-year-old airframe.”

The AWACS of today is “outdated and only getting older” and [likewise] “just not interoperable with what we need to do” in a multispectral battle, Kelly said. Getting a new platform “can’t happen fast enough.” | via Air Force Magazine.

With the upcoming E-7 AEW&C equipped with a MESA sensor, as well as the ongoing production of other Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighters and weapons, the Air Force strives to further boost its defense and deterrence capabilities and maintain its air superiority against hostile nations such as Russia, China, and North Korea.