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3w ago

First RAF-Bound Boeing E-7 Wedgetail Arrives at RAF Lossiemouth

Final testing will determine when the aircraft is handed over to 8 Squadron.

RAF Wedgetail AEW1 arriving at RAF Lossiemouth where it will be operated alongside the RAF’s Poseidon MRA1 and Typhoon FGR4 fleets. (Image credit: Crown Copyright 2026/RAF)
RAF’s first Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW Mk1 aircraft arrived at RAF Lossiemouth. Credit: Crown/Royal Air Force.
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Overview

  • The E-7 aircraft registered WT001 landed at RAF Lossiemouth to begin its final test and evaluation phase, which started after it flew from STS Aviation Services at Birmingham.
  • The ferry flight was crewed by a mixed team of Boeing UK and RAF personnel as part of the planned transfer process.
  • Test activity is split between MOD Boscombe Down and RAF Lossiemouth and must be successfully completed before the RAF formally accepts WT001 and places it into service with 8 Squadron.
  • Basing the Wedgetail alongside the RAF’s P-8 Poseidon fleet uses the common Boeing 737 Next Generation airframe to reduce maintenance and logistics complexity and to support UK supply‑chain work and jobs.
  • The Wedgetail programme replaces the retired E-3D Sentry from 2021 and its entry into service could close the RAF’s long‑running airborne early‑warning gap and affect production confidence after recent US funding moves.