Washington — U.S. Representative Tom Cole is confident that the proposed $55 million funding package for Tinker Air Force Base’s E-7 Wedgetail program will survive the congressional appropriations process, bringing jobs and military investment into Oklahoma.
The funding included in the in-house appropriation legislation would support the development and training efforts of the E7 Wedgetail and airborne battle management aircraft intended to replace the aging E3 airborne warning and control system fleet currently with the Tinker Air Force Base.
Cole, the chairman of the House Appropriation Committee, said support for the aircraft has grown within Congress, the Pentagon, and the Trump administration after questions were raised earlier about the future of the program.
“At one time that was in doubt,” Appropriations chair Tom Cole said. “Secretary Hegseth, in his very first appearance before the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, raised concerns about the E-7, and we had a good exchange. This year, he’s come and actually reversed the position and made a point of saying there is a place for this.”
The E7 Wedgetail, also known as Boeing 737 AEW&C, is a twin-engine aircraft designed to provide airborne surveillance in battle management capabilities. Cole argued the aircraft offers significantly greater range and capacity than alternatives such as the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, a weather detector with tactical airborne early warning.
“The Department of the Air Force is evaluating options to resource the E-7 program in Fiscal Year 2027 to deliver Rapid Prototyping aircraft and continue Engineering and Manufacturing Development activities,” said Brian Brackens, E-7 Expert.
“It means hundreds of jobs, an important capability for the Air Force,” Cole said.
The program still has to be considered by the Senate before coming into law. Tom Cole says he remains optimistic that the funding will stay in the final appropriations package.
“I actually feel good in the Senate,” he said. “We can make the case, and I didn’t have any trouble securing funding, not just because I’m chairman, but because I think we’ve got bipartisan support for that on our committee.”
The E7 wedge tails already operated by several US allies, including Australia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, supporters of the program argue the aircraft will play a crucial role in future conflicts involving technologically advanced adversaries while helping to stay in Oklahoma’s aerospace industry for years to come.
