UK to base its five Wedgetail aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth

摘要

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is to base its fleet of five Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne earty warning Mk1(AEW1) aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 18 December 2020. The aircraft, to be delivered from 2023 to 2025, will be co-located at the station with the RAF's fleet of nine Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft, helping with the support and operation of both Boeing 737-based platforms. Unlike the current Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW aircraft, the Wedgetails cannot be aerially refuelled by the UK's hose-equipped Airbus Voyager tankers. Basing them in Scotland will thus increase their endurance when operating over the North Sea and the northern approaches to UK airspace.