When you modify a Boeing 737-700 with a state-of-the-art airborne early warning and control system, you get an Australian E-7A Wedgetail.

The Wedgetail is an invaluable piece of equipment for The Royal Australian Air Force with the ability to track maritime and airborne targets at a range in excess of four hundred kilometers, with aerial refuelling capability and all of the communication equipment required to act as a mobile command centre.

The Prime minister has pledged a Wedgetail to support NATO’s logistical support for the Ukraine War in which the E-7A will be based out of Germany on the same day that the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has agreed to the purchase of one-hundred Boxer heavy weapons carriers wroth one billion dollars making it one of the biggest arms deals in Australia history.

Image: Image: Shutterstock: Chris Andrews Fern Bay

Produced By: Dominic Giles

Featured In Story: Dr James Dwyer, Lecturer in Social Sciences, Specialising in Security and Strategic Studies from the University of Tasmania

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 12 July 2023