UK’s current E-7A acquisition costs at £800m and counting

The UK has so far spent over £800m (US$1.1bn) on the planned acquisition of E-7A Wedgetail AEW1 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, with much of the expenditure likely on key infrastructure programmes at the fleet’s future home of RAF Lossiemouth. In a written parliamentary response on July 26, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin stated that according to 2021 Government Major Project Portfolio data set records a cost of £2.2bn had been set for a baseline fleet of five aircraft.