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{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #87CEEB;width:30%;" align="right"
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3" align="center" style="border-bottom:3px solid"|Project Wedgetail
|-
|colspan="3" align="center"|
[[image:Aust_Wedgetail.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Australia's first Wedgetail over Sydney Harbour]]

|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Description
|-
|Role||colspan="2"|[[Airborne Early Warning and Control]] (AEW&C)
|-
|Crew||colspan="2"|Flight: 2<BR>Mission: 6-10
|-
|First Flight||colspan="2"|2004 (''Projected'')
|-
|Entered Service||colspan="2"|2006 (''Projected'')
|-
|Base Platform||colspan="2"|737-700IGW
|-
|Manufacturer||colspan="2"|Boeing Company
|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Dimensions
|-
|Length||110 ft 4 in||33.6 m
|-
|Wingspan||117 ft 2 in||34.3 m
|-
|Height||41 ft 2 in||12.5 m
|-
|Wing Area||||
|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Weights
|-
|Empty||102,750 lb||46,606 kg
|-
|Loaded|| lb|| kg
|-
|Maximum Takeoff||171,000 lb||77,564 kg
|-
|Capacity||colspan="2"|
|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Powerplant
|-
|Engines||colspan="2"|[[CFM International]] [[CFM International CFM56|CFM56-7]] [[turbofan]]s
|-
|Thrust (''est'')||2 &times; 27,000 lbf||2 &times; 120 kN
|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Performance
|-
|Maximum Speed||544 mph||875 km/h
|-
|Combat Range||3,800 n mi||7,040 km
|-
|Ferry Range|| n.m.|| km
|-
|Service Ceiling||41,000 ft||12,500 m
|-
|Rate of Climb|| ft/min|| m/min
|-
|Wing Loading|| lb/ft&sup2;|| kg/m&sup2;
|-
|Thrust/Weight|| ||
|-
!bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Avionics
|-
|Avionics||colspan="2"|[[Northrop Grumman]]  Multi-role [[Active Electronically Scanned Array]] [[radar]]
|-
|}

The '''[[Boeing Integrated Defense Systems|Boeing]] Wedgetail''' is an aircraft designed in response to [[Australia]]'s [[RFP]] to vendors for an [[Airborne Early Warning & Control]] (AEW&C) aircraft (and supporting segments) for the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF). In [[1997 in aviation|1997]], [[Boeing Integrated Defense Systems]] was awarded a contract to supply four AEW&C aircraft (whose design is based on the [[Boeing 737|737-700IGW]]), with Australia having the option to increase the order by three additional aircraft. Australia has since taken up two of those options. Aircraft deliveries began in [[2006 in aviation|2006]]. The first two Wedgetail aircraft were assembled and tested in [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], with the final four aircraft to be assembled by [[Boeing Australia, Ltd.|Boeing Australia]]. All the Australian aircraft will be operated by [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF]] based at [[RAAF Base Williamtown]].

The aircraft uses the [[Northrop Grumman]] Multi-role [[Active Electronically Scanned Array]] [[radar]] and control systems. The radar is located on a dorsal fin on top of the fuselage, dubbed the "top hat", and is designed for minimal aerodynamic effect. The radar is capable of simultaneous air and sea search, fighter control and area search. Other modifications include ventral fins to counterbalance the radar and countermeasures mounted on the nose, wingtips and tail. The cabin features eight operator consoles with sufficient space for four more; the Australian fleet will operate ten consoles with space for two more.

For the Australian aircraft, Boeing and Northrop are teamed with [[Boeing Australia, Ltd.]], [[BAE Systems]] Australia and [[Qantas Defence Services]]. Boeing Australia will provide training, maintenance and support, BAE provides electronic warfare systems and mission equipment and Qantas provides maintenance support for the aircraft. Qantas also provides maintenance for the two [[Boeing Business Jet|BBJ]] VIP aircraft of the RAAF.

As of 2005, four airframes were ordered by [[Turkey]], with an option for two more. The first example was completed in 2005 and under went systems integration.

As a result of positive initial success, Boeing has pitched the aircraft to [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] as potential customers. ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]'' stated in their [[June 21]], [[2004]] edition that [[Italy]] has been strongly tipped for a purchase of a total of 14 Wedgetail and [[Multimission Maritime Aircraft|MMA]] aircraft, with fleet support provided by [[Alitalia]].

The Wedgetail platform is also being used to develop technologies for the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]'s [[E-10 MC2A|E-10]] AWACS aircraft.

[[Image:Boeing_737_AEW.jpg|300px|thumb|left|''[[South Korea]]n 737AEW&C proposal, based upon [[Australia]]'s Project Wedgetail''.]]

== Copyright ==
"Original data received from Wikipedia on April 14, 2006. Credit given to original authors can be seen [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boeing_Wedgetail&action=history Here]."

[[Category:Military Aircraft]]