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Key E-7 Wedgetail facility officially opened by the RAF

A key facility that will be used to maintain the E-7 Wedgetail fleet has been officially opened by the RAF at a ceremony in Scotland.

Aircraft on a flight line, taken through a building window.

The new structure, located at RAF Lossiemouth, sits alongside the Atlantic Building, from which the UK’s fleet of nine Poseidon MRA Mk1 aircraft already operate.

Air Commodore Hicks signing a document on a table, with a group of people standing around him

As the world’s most advanced, capable and reliable Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform, the E-7 Wedgetail fleet will provide intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance for the RAF.

The new facility was built by Boeing supplier McLaughlin & Harvey, with more than 175 people employed on site at the project’s peak.

Air Commodore Hicks and two other servicepeople in an office laughing.

It was officially opened in a ceremony at RAF Lossiemouth on the 19th of September by RAF programme lead Air Commodore Alex Hicks in the presence of Boeing Defence UK fixed wing director Ashley Parkes, McLaughlin & Harvey’s managing director Paul Griffen, and Laura McNally from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the UK Ministry of Defence’s procurement agency.  

“It is a real privilege to open the Combined Line Engineering facility for the joint use of Poseidon and Wedgetail engineering teams. Collocating the teams will bring significant advantage to Defence as they operate, train and learn from each other to drive synergies into the maintenance of the two capabilities. 

Thank you to all of the stakeholders that have worked hard to deliver such an excellent capability to the Front Line, your efforts will provide benefit for years to come.”

Air Commodore Hicks
Head of Capability Delivery for ISR

The build, subcontracted by Boeing under a contract with DE&S, provided five further Scottish businesses with work and a mix of graduate and trainee opportunities in specialist trades.

Four people, two servicepeople and two men in suits, standing and smiling in front of the building opening plaque.

This included local Moray steel contractor, Simmers Contracts. The family business, which situated just 25 miles from the site, provided 556 tonnes of steel and 7,000 square metres of cladding to support the project.  

“It’s of great pleasure to see the official opening of a building that has taken shape in front of our eyes here at Lossiemouth over the past 18 months. It’s another important milestone for this programme and we now look forward to the arrival of aircraft.”

Laura McNally
DE&S' programme lead at Lossiemouth

Capable of simultaneously tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets, the E-7 aircraft uses the information it gathers to improve situational awareness and direct assets such as fighter jets and warships. 

Aircraft on the flightline, with the new facility visible in the back left of the image.

The arrival of Wedgetail further bolsters the reputation of Lossiemouth which enjoys a strategic location and state-of-the-art facilities.

The facilities will be ready for the arrival of the first aircraft Wedgetail aircraft, marking a return to RAF Lossiemouth for 8 Squadron, who will operate the aircraft, after an absence of 30 years.

The new facility, a dark grey building.

“We have a proud history delivering large-scale infrastructure projects in Scotland in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and our local supply chain. With a blended team of more than 175 people employed during the project’s peak, the RAF’s E-7 facility has been expertly delivered by our main construction partner, McLaughlin & Harvey. This facility is a critical step forward in ensuring the successful service introduction of the UK’s future E-7 fleet.”

Ashley Parkes
Fixed wing director of Boeing Defence UK

E-7 Wedgetail will commence test flying this year and come into service in 2025.