E-7

Republicans tee up short-term CR extending Pentagon funding until November

The continuing resolution does not include $3.9 billion requested by the White House for the Columbia-class submarine, but gives funding flexibility to other key programs.

EXCLUSIVE: SDA eyeing airborne target tracking satellites demonstration, says Tournear

"I would say that we are at the point now where the technology has matured and it's commoditized, so that radar based AMTI from space is feasible," outgoing SDA Director Derek Tournear told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview.

PACAF commander: Air Force needs to ‘improve,’ staff up C2 capabilities

"The tree that that hangs on, the tree of our platforms and our capabilities is command and control, and I see a need for us to continue to invest and improve. And that’s people,” said Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kevin Schneider.

Mining for DOGE: Defense budget docs show $11B in ‘efficiencies,’ but what are they?

An analysis by AEI conducted in partnership with Breaking Defense scoured thousands of pages of fiscal 2026 Pentagon budget documents, some of the most definitive accounting yet for DOGE’s impact at the Department of Defense.

AMTI is not air battle management: Why the US needs the E-7 now

Grant Georgulis in this op-ed lays out why the E-7 program should not be cancelled, but rather developed alongside space-based AMTI.

Space Force launching sats to ‘enable’ GMTI ahead of mission-dedicated birds in 2028

Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, the Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear, also said the service expects to complete an analysis of alternatives by this fall for a separate but related effort to track airborne targets from the heavens.

Funding F/A-XX could ‘delay’ F-47, White House warns Congress

The White House made official what many in defense circles have been whispering: That the administration is prioritizing the Air Force’s next jet over the Navy’s future capability.

HASC adds funds for Virginia-class subs, Ukraine in FY26 policy bill

Republicans successfully batted down a number of Democratic amendments during the 14-hour markup session.

UK closes in on build of first E-7 Wedgetail, keeps faith in program amid US Air Force cancellation

In all, the estimated £1.89 billion ($2.57 billion) British E-7 program had completed a total of three test flights as of May, according to a parliamentary statement from Maria Eagle, UK defence procurement minister.

Air Force cancels E-7 Wedgetail, citing survivability and cost concerns

"We are bullish on space, and we think that’s a capability that can be achieved actually faster than the E-7 will deliver at this point," a senior military official said.

Before lawmakers, Hegseth refuses to disclose cost, schedule to convert Qatari jet to Air Force One

The secretary of defense also defended cuts to the E-7 Wedgetail, Constellation-class frigate, and Ukraine assistance funds during the congressional hearing.

Space Force testing space-based sensors to track airborne targets

Space-based capabilities could put current aerial tracking platforms in question, but top military brass have argued for options "from whatever domain or platform or system that comes [in]."

KC-46 refueling vision system fix delayed to 2027

The new timeline is a setback for the beleaguered tanker, whose deliveries have been halted since February.

Air Force officer sees options for ‘cheaper,’ less ‘exquisite’ CCA drone wingmen

“I think you'll see a range of options, from low end to potentially more exquisite,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel said of forthcoming tranches of drone wingmen. “I tend to think that it's probably going to be closer to this low end thing when we start looking at the further CCA increments.”