An Air Force surveillance plane that Congress seeks to rescue from the chopping block stateside is about to get some new life across the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a recent deal with the United Kingdom.
Two Boeing 737 passenger jets will be converted into advanced prototypes of the E-7A Wedgetail at the company’s facility in Birmingham, England, the British defense ministry said in a Sept. 18 statement announcing the contract.
The deal marks a boon for U.K. industry, which will build military aircraft for the U.S. Air Force for the first time in more than 50 years, the statement said.
An Air Force official who responded to questions sent to the Pentagon regarding the Wedgetail program’s status said there has been no change.
The service “will terminate future E-7A production in accordance with the … budget request,” said the official, who declined to be named. The official referred to the U.K. work as a “pre-planned modification” that “would benefit both parties.”
A Republican-led House bid last week to avoid a government shutdown through Nov. 21 includes a provision directing the Pentagon to continue the program.
Although the Air Force did not give an amount for the contract with the U.K., the ministry’s statement said production of the E-7 would inject nearly $50 million into the British economy.
Posted by John3262005