RAF Lossiemouth will be the new home of the UK’s fleet of Wedgetail AEW Mk1 surveillance aircraft, bolstering Scotland’s key role in UK and NATO defence and security, Defence Minister Baroness Goldie announced today.
Delivering a step change in capability from the current E-3D Sentry, the Wedgetail is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets, using the information it gathers to improve situational awareness and direct assets such as fighter jets and warships. The Wedgetail has previously been used by the Royal Australian Air Force on operations against Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
The Wedgetail will be co-located with the new Poseidon fleet, with the first four submarine-hunting aircraft already providing essential operational support in the area.
Operating both fleets of Boeing 737 type aircraft from the same location will further harness RAF Lossiemouth’s strategic location and take advantage of the new £100m state-of-the-art facility and the recent £75m runway upgrade. The BBC decision is also expected to support in hundreds of jobs and provide a boost to the local economy.