Turkish Boeing E-7 Wedgetail at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany

Turkish Air Force E-7T Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.

On 11, 12 and 13 April 2022, the NATO-led military exercise "Ramstein Alloy 22-1" took place around the Baltic states. Specially for this exercise, a Turkish E-7T "Wedgetail" participated. During the exercise, this aircraft flew two missions from Geilenkirchen Air Base (ICAO:ETNG) in Germany.

Boeing E-7 WedgeTail

The Boeing E-7 "Wedgetail" Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) is an aircraft that is derived from the commercial Boeing 737 NG. The task of the aircraft is the same as the Boeing E-3 Sentry, a flying radar and command post (airborne surveillance and early warning system). Unlike the E-3 with the rotating radar on top of the aircraft, the E-7 has an elongated, fixed radar on top.

The first E-7s were developed for the Australian Air Force (6 aircraft) and currently the Turkish Air Force (4 aircraft) and the Air Force of South Korea fly (4 units) with this unit. The British Air Force (Royal Air Force) placed an order for five E-7 planes in 2019. 

The United States Air Force is currently investigating the existing E-3 aircraft in the arsenal, to be replaced at an fast pace by the E-7. At the German airbase Geilenkirchen (just across the border of the Netherlands), NATO has a number of E-3s based since the early 1980s. These aging aircraft also have to be replaced and again the E-7 may be a suitable candidate for the replacement.

Ramstein Alloy 22-1

NATO Allied Air Command (based at Ramstein Air Base in Germany), organizes three times a year the two-day 'Ramstein Alloy' exercise The aim of the 'Ramstein Alloy' exercise is to improve the interoperability of the Air Force of NATO members and partner countries in the Baltic Sea region. 

The exercise takes place three times place per year. The training scenarios include tasks such as the identification, escort and transfer of escort duties of an aircraft suffering from loss of communication (COMLOSS). In addition, the 'Ramstein Alloy' exercise the ability to operate with different types of fighter aircraft to fly, the Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT). 

The training missions will take place in international airspace over the Baltic Sea and in Finnish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian airspace. The detachments of the Baltic Air Policing will participate in the exercise from Ämari Air Force Base in Estonia and the Šiauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania.

Text and Pics: Joris van Boven