The House Appropriations Committee endorsed the White House’s $1.5 billion request for the Air Force’s E‑7 Wedgetail program, rejecting a proposal to divert funds from the Navy’s airborne early‑warning account to partially finance the next‑generation radar aircraft.
In a recent letter, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought outlined the proposed funding shift to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R‑La. The Pentagon’s plan called for moving $651 million from the Navy’s E‑2 procurement line and $899 million from the Air Force’s classified special update programs. The House panel ultimately approved the full E‑7 financing in its version of the annual defense spending bill but restored the Navy’s original allocations.
“While the Committee wholly supports the E‑7 program and funding realignment, the Committee also restored the E‑2D program to six aircraft for fiscal year 2027,” lawmakers noted in the report. “The Committee understands the operational necessity of the E‑2D platform; the complementary nature of the E‑2D and E‑7; and believes that more aircraft, not fewer, are necessary to support our warfighters now and in the future.”
An Air Force spokesperson declined to comment on the programs impacted by the proposed reshuffling.
Airpower advocates have intensified their push for E‑7 funding and battlespace‑awareness upgrades after an Air Force E‑3 Sentry was damaged in March during the conflict with Iran. Although the Pentagon initially omitted the Wedgetail from its 2027 budget request, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later affirmed to Congress that the next‑generation platform is essential for future operations.
Faced with a shrinking E‑3 fleet, appropriators emphasized that the military’s reliance on airborne battle‑management aircraft necessitates greater investment in a next‑generation replacement.
“The conflict in Iran has reinforced the need for the Air Force to maintain a credible airborne battle‑management capability, currently being met with the Air Force’s E‑3 Airborne Warning and Control System and the Navy’s E‑2D Hawkeye programs,” lawmakers wrote. “As the E‑3 is set to retire, the E‑7 Wedgetail will serve as a modern replacement for lost battle‑management capability, commensurate and interoperable with assets already being utilized by key allies.”
Lawmakers directed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to brief the House and Senate defense‑appropriations subcommittees “on the full E‑7 acquisition strategy, to include required quantity; funding requirements across the future years defense program; and schedules for development and production” by the time the 2028 budget request is submitted.
One analyst noted that alignment among the White House, Pentagon, and Congress bodes well for the program. “I believe the likelihood of the program getting off to a great start is very, very high,” said Mark Gunzinger, the Mitchell Institute’s director of future concepts and capability assessments. He cautioned, however, that “any shuffling of funds within the service’s accounts will hurt programs.”