US President Donald signed a sweeping $90 billion defense policy bill into law, highlighting robust bipartisan support for Europe and challenging his administration’s increasingly skeptical stance toward NATO and key allies.
The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—one of the few enduring rituals of cross-party cooperation in a deeply divided Washington—outlines Washington’s defense priorities and foreign policy direction for the year ahead, lawmakers said.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump signed into law a measure which raises pay for US troops, codifies the country’s “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH agenda,” and “funds the Golden Dome” air and missile defense system backed by Trump.
The NDAA, at some $900 billion, also “removes woke priorities” such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs opposed by many conservatives and “requires promotions based on merit, not DEI,” Kelly added.
Lifeline For E-7 Wedgetail
The U.S. Congress has moved to save the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft program in the newly passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), overriding Pentagon plans to cancel it, even as European NATO allies have scrapped their own acquisition of the Boeing aircraft.
The fiscal 2026 NDAA authorizes an additional $647 million for continued development and procurement of the E-7, while prohibiting the Air Force from terminating its contract with Boeing or shutting down associated production lines.
Lawmakers also blocked the retirement of more than a limited number of aging E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft until adequate E-7s are fielded or an alternative plan is approved, addressing concerns about potential gaps in airborne command-and-control capabilities.
The Pentagon sought to cancel the program in its 2026 budget request, citing delays, cost overruns, and questions about the platform’s survivability against advanced threats from peers such as China and Russia.
Officials favored shifting resources to space-based sensors and additional Navy E-2D Hawkeye aircraft instead.
The congressional intervention highlights bipartisan support for the E-7 as a trusted replacement for the decades-old E-3 fleet, with supporters arguing that emerging space technologies are not yet mature enough to completely replace manned airborne radar platforms.
Earlier, 16 retired Air Force four-star generals, among them six former Chiefs of Staff, sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to rescue the E-7 Wedgetail program from cancellation while increasing the purchase of the F-35s
In a follow-up media roundtable featuring eight of the signatories, they warned that preserving US air dominance is achievable through robust funding—but requires redirecting a greater share of the defense budget toward the Air Force to halt a dangerous, decades-long slide in combat readiness.
Meanwhile, European NATO members last month abandoned plans to jointly purchase six E-7s to succeed the alliance’s collectively owned fleet of 14 E-3A aircraft, which are due for retirement by 2035.
The Netherlands, speaking for a consortium including Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and others, cited the U.S. withdrawal from the multinational effort in July as removing the program’s “strategic and financial foundations.”
Dutch officials highlighted the need to invest more in European industry, opening the door to alternatives such as Sweden’s Saab GlobalEye, which has already been selected by France for its national AEW&C replacement.
Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail
The Boeing E-7 Wedgetail is a twin-engine airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, designed primarily for surveillance, command, and battle management. Based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation airframe, it features a distinctive fixed dorsal fin housing advanced radar systems, marking a shift from rotating domes on older platforms like the E-3 Sentry.
Originally developed for the Royal Australian Air Force under Project Wedgetail, the E-7 integrates cutting-edge electronics for real-time threat detection and coordination.
Its wing area spans 980 square feet (91 square meters), using a B737D airfoil for efficient flight. The aircraft has an empty weight of 102,750 pounds (46,606 kilograms) and a maximum takeoff weight of 171,000 pounds (77,600 kilograms), with a payload capacity of 43,720 pounds (19,830 kilograms).
Powered by two CFM International CFM56-7B27A turbofan engines, each delivering 27,300 pounds-force (121 kilonewtons) of thrust, the E-7 achieves a cruise speed of 530 miles per hour (853 kilometers per hour, or 460 knots).
It boasts a range of 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers, or 3,500 nautical miles) and a service ceiling of 41,000 feet (12,500 meters).
At the core of the aircraft is the Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, a fixed active electronically scanned array providing 360-degree coverage.
It enables simultaneous air and sea searches, fighter control, and area surveillance, with a maximum range exceeding 600 kilometers in look-up mode and over 850 kilometers for electronic intelligence (ELINT) at 30,000 feet.
The radar uses two broadside arrays (120 degrees each) and an end-fire array (60 degrees front and aft), with processing equipment below. Crewed by two pilots and six to ten mission specialists, the cabin features up to 12 operator consoles (typically eight to ten).
Countermeasures are mounted on the nose, wingtips, and tail for self-protection. Operators include Australia (six E-7A), South Korea (four Peace Eye), Turkey (four E-7T), and the UK (three Wedgetail AEW1 on order).
By ET Online Desk with Inputs from Agencies
