Written question asked by Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated) on Thursday, 6 June 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 June 2019. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Monday, 17 June 2019 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Boeing E-7: Procurement

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they chose to implement an E-7 Wedgetail conversion programme to maintain the UK’s Airborne Early Warning and Control capability rather than procure new Boeing 737–700 AEW&C aircraft.

Answer: The E-7 Wedgetail is a military derivative based on the Boeing 737 NG civil aircraft and has always been produced by modifying that aircraft with a sophisticated radar and mission system suite along with other military systems. Wherever the E-7 is produced it involves the modification of the base aircraft and by undertaking this work at Marshall Aerospace and Defence in Cambridge we have ensured that several hundred highly-skilled jobs have been sustained in the United Kingdom.

Secondary information