Airborne Pivot: USAF Cancels E-7 Wedgetail....Planning to use “space-based assets” & E-2 Hawkeyes . In a dramatic shift, the Pentagon is looking to cancel the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail program—once seen as the USAF’s future of airborne early warning and control...Officials say the decision, revealed in the FY2026 defense budget, stems from delays, cost hikes, and doubts over the E-7’s survivability in high-threat airspace (sadly, that’s largely the same rationale causing the A-10 Warthog to be retired). . Originally meant to replace the aging E-3 Sentry fleet, the E-7A was already under contract, with 26 aircraft planned. Boeing’s confidence in congressional support hasn’t wavered, but the Pentagon is now pivoting hard—aiming instead for a space-based threat-tracking network and near-term reliance on the Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. . The E-2D is combat-proven but smaller, slower, and more limited in range and manpower than the Wedgetail. It’s carrier-capable and flexible enough for remo...