# E-7A — Program Element 0604007F

**Program element:** 0604007F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604007F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force funding falls 100% to a $0.0M request in FY2027 (down from a FY2026 peak). In the FY2027 defense authorization, the Senate added $1,500.0M (to $1.50B) while House appropriators added $1,549.1M (to $1.55B).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 586.7 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 1,097.3 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 0.0 | — |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 1,500.0 | +1,500.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 1,549.1 | +1,549.1 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (1)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 644413 | E-7A | 586.7 | 1,097.3 | 0.0 | −100% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project 644413 — E-7A

Funds the E-7A program. The E-7A program is intended to replace the unsustainable E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The E-3 AWACS, first fielded in the 1970s, is at the end of its service life, and costly to maintain. The E-7A will serve as the USAF's principal airborne platform for airborne command and control and airborne moving target indicator, providing a reliable, persistent critical node in the long-range kill chain for the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC). The E-7A is intended to provide increased capabilities to the USAF and the Joint Services to include the ability to detect and track highly maneuverable, small radar cross-section airborne targets (modern and emerging threats), the ability to real-time process and create a precise air picture, and the ability to battle manage (e.g. command and control) under a wide range of operational conditions. The E-7A is a highly modified Airborne Battle Management and Command and Control aircraft integrating a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation (737NG) airframe with a reinforced fuselage Section 46, a Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) Radar mounted on the aircraft's Section 46, and two 180-kVA generators added to commercial CFM-56 engines mounted beneath each wing. The E-7A will provide a reliable, operationally available, maintainable, and sustainable capability. E-7A RDT&E efforts include: end item completion and component modification for aircraft to support test and evaluation; hardware and software modernization development efforts to ensure compliance with US cybersecurity and program protection standards; development efforts to ensure navigation and communication systems comply with GPS M-Code and Narrowband SATCOM mandates; development efforts to design and build flight planning terminals, deployable mission support systems, and mission crew trainers; design and build-out contractor and government System Integration Laboratories supporting development, integration, and test activities; and analysis and to support future requirements and airworthiness certification. E-7A Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C2ISR): C2ISR system improvements investigate and develop future capabilities of the E-7 weapon system.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-7A | 586.7 | 1,097.2 | 0.0 |
| E-7 C2ISR | — | 0.1 | 0.0 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Funds the E-7A program. The E-7A program is intended to replace the unsustainable E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The E-3 AWACS, first fielded in the 1970s, is at the end of its service life, and costly to maintain. The E-7A will serve as the USAF's principal airborne platform for airborne command and control and airborne moving target indicator, providing a reliable, persistent critical node in the long-range kill chain for the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC).

The Service Acquisition Executive (SAE) designated the E-7A program a Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping effort in February 2023. A sole source undefinitized contract action (UCA) was awarded to Boeing in February 2023 and Definitized in August 2024. The Milestone Decision Authority for the E-7A program is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Program management for the E-7A program is under direction of PEO Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center located at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH is the contracting authority for the E-7A program.

## Related program elements

- [0207455F — Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207455F) (Air Force)
- [0607139A — Improved Turbine Engine Program](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0607139A) (Army)
- [0303133F — High Frequency Radio Systems](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0303133F) (Air Force)
- [1203155SF — Ground Moving Target Indicator](https://hitchintel.com/programs/1203155SF) (Space Force)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604007F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604007F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*