US Air Force retires first of 13 E-3 Sentry aircraft following A-10C Thunderbolt II

The US Air Force retired the A-10C Thunderbolt II last week. As part of its final flight, it flew to Arizona, where it will be dismantled for parts. Following the A-10C, the E-3 Sentry long-range radar detection aircraft was retired.

Here's What We Know

The US Air Force first began talking about wanting to retire AWACS aircraft in April 2022. The first E-3 Sentry left for Davis-Monthan, Arizona in early April 2023. The flight number is 0560.

The US Air Force's desire to retire the E-3 Sentry aircraft is due to the fact that it is based on a Boeing 707. The planes are no longer in commercial use, so maintenance of the E-3 is a heavy blow to the service budget. In addition, the availability rate has fallen below 65 percent in recent years.

A U.S. Air Force press release states that eliminating 13 E-3s will allow the service to focus on maintaining the remaining aircraft. In doing so, the service must provide the US Congress with an acquisition strategy for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, which will become a replacement for the E-3 Sentry. Only then will they be able to decommission 10 aircraft. Three more planes will be retired after the E-7 contract is awarded.

At the end of February 2023, the U.S. Air Force signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase the first two Wedgetail aircraft. The deal amounted to more than $1 billion. In total, the service wants a fleet of 26 E-7s. Deliveries will begin in 2027.

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine