The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) E-7 Wedgetail programme, a critical component of the UK’s future Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability, faces new hurdles as its Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating fell from Amber to Red in the latest Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Annual Report 2023-24.
The programme aims to deliver cutting-edge radar capabilities while ensuring interoperability with key allies.
Key Challenges Highlighted
The report outlines several challenges that contributed to the downgraded DCA rating:
- Affordability Risks: The programme is grappling with budgetary pressures, necessitating adjustments in the Full Business Case, expected in early FY 2024/25.
- Global Supply Chain Delays: Difficulties in securing equipment and materials have further strained the project timeline.
- Skilled Workforce Retention: Maintaining an adequately skilled workforce at the modification facility has proven challenging.
- Aviation Certification Complexity: The increasing complexity of certification in the aviation sector has introduced delays to the project schedule.
Despite these obstacles, the programme’s end-date remains fixed at June 1, 2027. However, the report notes that this timeline is under review and may face revisions as issues are addressed.
Financial Overview
The Whole Life Cost (WLC) of the programme increased from £1.877 billion in FY 2022/23-Q4 to £2.053 billion in FY 2023/24-Q4. This rise reflects the MOD’s decision to release additional funding to align with updated cost forecasts. The final WLC will be detailed in the Full Business Case.
Importantly, the budget variance remains within acceptable limits at 0.4%, indicating strong financial controls despite the challenges.
Strategic Importance
The E-7 Wedgetail programme is set to replace the previous E-3 Sentry fleet and provide the UK with a 5th generation AEW&C capability equipped with a Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar.
This technology is vital for enhancing situational awareness and operational effectiveness in contested environments, supporting the MOD’s long-term strategic goals. The aircraft’s interoperability with allied forces ensures its integration into joint operations, strengthening the UK’s role in global defence partnerships.
Outlook
While the programme’s Red rating indicates significant risks, the MOD is actively working to mitigate challenges through strategic planning and resource allocation. The submission of the Full Business Case is a critical step toward addressing affordability and delivery issues.
Understanding Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) Ratings
The Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) ratings provide an evaluation of the likelihood of a project meeting its objectives in terms of time, cost, and scope. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority uses these ratings to identify challenges and provide recommendations for improvement. The ratings are categorized as follows:
- Green: A Green rating indicates that the project is on track to deliver successfully, with minimal risks identified. Any issues are well understood and manageable within the existing plans.
- Amber: An Amber rating signifies that while successful delivery is feasible, there are significant issues that require focused management attention. These challenges could pose risks to the project’s timeline, budget, or objectives if not addressed effectively.
- Red: A Red rating reflects serious concerns about the project’s ability to meet its objectives. Immediate corrective action is needed to address fundamental issues, as the project is unlikely to succeed without significant changes or interventions.
These ratings offer a snapshot of project performance and help ensure that potential issues are identified and mitigated early, improving the likelihood of successful delivery.
Land rather than Air is more my area of intrest, but if memory serves me right, the following points spring to mind…..
Isnt this the one where we have 5 radars but only 3 planes
I thought it was already in service with Australia
The build is taking place at a purpose built facility near Birmingham.
The project was due to move aircraft to Boscombe for testing and evaluation purposes.
My question therefore is why the issue going from Amber to Red
Anyone with info, please feel free to update my limited knowledge and information on this project.
In this instance, as we were only buying 3 frames, I’d gs e got AUS to do the work on a fixed price contract.
There is precious little advantage to us reinventing wheels, expensively, to put together a system someone else has designed and perfected.
It’s the MOD way, take something that already exists and fu#k it up, at extraordinary expense !
I am sure that the first of the E-7s has already started test flights.
The MOD couldn’t plan a piss up in a brewery!
The Sentry serves on with a foreign Air Force. Meanwhile we have no capability..
Thank our civil servants, they destroyed our aircraft industry so we can’t make our own planes any more. What we need is a pro British government that will exile out civil servants and replace the edifice with a smaller body of pro British people whose mandate is to improve our war readiness, more defence, more production, energy security, stable pro British educated population who have all been trained to fight.