Wedgetail.-

The Wedgetail Eagle is a native of Australia, and is one of the largest Eagles in the world. It is known to have extremely acute vision, to range widely in search of prey, to protect it's territory without compromise and to stay aloft for long periods of time.

For these reasons Project Wedgetail is the name given to Australian Defence Force Project AIR 5077, which has been established to acquire an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability. The AEW&C capability provides the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with an enhanced surveillance capability in the broad expanse of the Australian north. AEW&C aircraft solves the radar horizon limitation by elevating the radar 10,000 metres above the earth’s surface so that the radar can ‘see’ everything out to a range of hundreds of kilometres. Low flying aircraft can no longer ‘sneak up’ by approaching below the radar horizon. As well as overcoming the radar horizon limitation, AEW&C aircraft have the capability to deploy to their stations much faster than surface-based radars and could quickly redeploy in reaction to changed situations. An airborne radar can cover a much larger volume of low level airspace than can a surface-based radar and can ‘see’ about 250 square kilometres at the surface. The AEW&C aircraft cruising at an altitude of 10,000 metres can maintain surveillance over a surface area of 400,000 square kilometres at any given time. Over a 10-hour mission (for example from Darwin to Perth and back), the AEW&C will cover over 4 million square kilometres. AEW&C aircraft can also serve as a mobile communications relay point, enhancing the ability of widely-spread units to communicate with each other. The AEW&C can combine information from many sources to form a single picture of the operational situation, and then quickly provide this picture to all friendly units, greatly increasing their ‘situational awareness’.

Photo By Colin Dadd.

Repostando en la Base Aérea de Tindal durante el Ejercicio Talisman Sabre 2011, donde el Wedgetail operó sobre las áreas de entrenamiento de Queensland y el Territorio del Norte, proporcionando cobertura a las fuerzas marítimas que desplegaban sobre los mares de Coral, Timor y Arafura. Photo By Colin Dadd.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By Clint Mckay.

Photo By Colin Dadd.

El "Navy Above Water Warfare Working Group" visita las instalaciones del 2º Escuadrón en Williamtown. Photo By Craig Barret.

David Gibbs.

The 737 is one of the most popular and reliable jet aircraft in the world. Airlines and operators have ordered more than 4,800 737s, with more than 3,800 having been delivered. With so many in service, there is a world-wide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment. The Boeing team was awarded an Initial Design Activity contract by the Australian Defence Force in December 1997. As part of that contract, the team worked on a design solution to meet the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) requirements for an AEW&C system.

In July 1999, the Boeing team was selected as the preferred tenderer for Project Wedgetail. A development and acquisition contract was signed in December 2000. The contract is worth more than $2 billion Australian (more than $1 billion U.S.). It provides for four 737 AEW&C systems with options for up to three additional systems. The contract also provides for ground-based support segments for flight and mission crew training, a mission support segment and other system support facilities and spare parts. A contract was signed in December 2000, with delivery of the first two aircraft expected in 2006 Boeing teamed with Northrop Grumman (ESSD), Boeing Australia and British Aerospace Australia for the Boeing 737 AEW&C System. On 27 February 2001 Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector (ES3) was awarded a contract by The Boeing Company for more than $300 million (U.S.) to provide its MESA radar for Project Wedgetail.

In September 2001 Boeing successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) of the radar and identification friend or foe (IFF) systems for Australia's Project Wedgetail - the first major design milestone in the development of this state-of-the-art 737 airborne early warning & control system. Work on the PDR was finished on schedule and within budget. The PDR included a general review of the radar/IFF design against the Wedgetail radar subsystem requirements established by the Commonwealth of Australia. The next step in the process was detailed design definition of components, parts and software to create the radar sub-system. These include structural drawings, circuit diagrams, electronics board and box layouts, and manufacturing and support plans.

Photo By Clint Mackay.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By Rick Prideaux.

Photo By Rick Prideaux.

Photo By Rick Prideaux.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By Craig Barret.

The first Australian Wedgetail aircraft rolled out 31 October 2002 during a ceremony at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash. The 737-700 will be transformed into a platform for an Airborne Early Warning and Control System. Modifications to the aircraft began in 2003.

In 2004 Australia exercised options to buy two additional 737-700 aircraft boosting the number in its fleet to six. Delivery of the first two aircraft was scheduled for 2006. The rest were to be delivered by 2008. On 20 May 2004 Boeing conducted the successful first flight of the 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft for Australia's Project Wedgetail. The plane rolled down the runway at Boeing Field in Seattle and took to the skies at 10:15 a.m. PDT, heading west to the Pacific Ocean. It then flew back and forth over Washington State's Olympic Peninsula before landing at Boeing Field. During the two-hour flight Boeing pilot Charles Gebhardt and co-pilot Ray Craig conducted a series of tests on the airplane's systems and structures. The pilots were in constant contact with a group of test engineers monitoring the flight at Boeing Field. After touchdown, the aircraft was greeted by Air Vice Marshall Norm Gray, head of Australia's Airborne Surveillance and Control division and Allen Ashby, vice president and general manager of Boeing Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems.

In July 2005 Boeing successfully completed the aircraft performance and flight handling test program with the first 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Australia's Project Wedgetail. This milestone validated the aircraft's digital design, and wind tunnel and simulator analyses. It is a major step forward in providing this powerful, new capability to Australia. The aircraft exceeded all specification requirements for altitude, speed and endurance. It logged more than 245 flights and more than 500 flight hours. Takeoff performance, flight handling and simulated air to air refueling testing were conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Engine nacelle and engine component cooling were tested in Mesa, Ariz. Additional tests included icing and crosswinds. Flight testing of the airborne early warning and control mission system, including the MESA radar, was scheduled for later in 2005.

Photo By Colin Dadd.

Photo By Clint Mackay.

Photo By Clint Mackay.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By David Gibbs.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By Colin Dadd.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By Craig Barret.

Photo By David Gibbs.

Photo By Katherine Pearson.

El 20 de marzo de 2012 el Jefe de la División de Sistemas Aeroespaciales, Vice Marshal Colin Thorne, firmaba ante el Agregado Naval estadounidense en Australia, Capitán John Sheehan, el Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) que formalizaba la participación de Australia en el Programa P-8A Poseidon. Photo By Bill Solomon.