The anticipated flypast of the Royal Air Force’s new E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) has been cancelled due to technical issues, according to individuals in attendance at RAF Fairford.
The E-7 was expected to make a high-profile appearance during the weekend’s flying programme as part of ongoing efforts to demonstrate progress in the delayed and politically contentious programme. The aircraft represents a critical element of the RAF’s future air command and control capability, intended to replace the now-retired E-3D Sentry fleet.
While no official statement has yet been released by the Ministry of Defence or the RAF, multiple sources present at RIAT confirmed that the aircraft will not fly as scheduled. It remains unclear whether the issue is airframe-specific or symptomatic of broader integration or systems concerns.
The Wedgetail had been due to perform a flypast to mark its increasing visibility in upcoming RAF service.
The cancellation is likely to raise further questions about the timeline and reliability of the E-7 programme, which has already faced cost scrutiny, capability gap concerns, and debates around the reduction from five to three airframes. During a House of Commons debate earlier this week, MPs expressed frustration over persistent delays and a perceived lack of transparency regarding delivery milestones.
The cancellation at RIAT is a symbolic blow to that message, particularly given the show’s importance as a showcase for allied air power and public engagement.
Further details may emerge during the weekend, with senior RAF officials expected to speak at related industry and capability briefings.
Different day same old shit.
Brand new extremely technical aircraft go wrong. Nothing new. Its not in service. Its undergoing trials. Shame it won’t make It to RIAT. But life goes on. As does getting this aircraft into service.
new? not exactly since it is curently in service with several air forces and has been operational for over a decade
Exactly. It’s the MOD way though. Take what works for everyone else and FUBAR it.
Well, some of us can be negative about this and, yes, the headline is a downer but things go wrong with highly complex systems all the time. RyanAir, EasyJet, BA cancellations all the time. It’s not a great look for a project that’s in the spotlight right now but I dare say any commitment to fly at RIAT by any contributor is caveated with an ‘all being well” statement!
True
New for the RAF. Just because it’s in service with other nations doesn’t make it any less challenging bringing a new type into service.
/facepalm
That’s it, Get the Bulldozers.