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Project Wedgetail - First Flight

21 May 2004

A new era in Australian airborne surveillance was launched today with the first flight of the Royal Australian Air Force’s new "Wedgetail" Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said the first flight conducted at Boeing Field in Seattle in the United States was a significant milestone in the $3.4 billion AEW&C project.

During the flight, tests were made on the Wedgetail’s systems and structures. The pilots were in constant contact with test engineers monitoring the flight. After touchdown, the aircraft was greeted by Air Vice Marshal Norm Gray, head of the AEW&C program.

Read Ministerial Release: Wedgetail's First Flight
Background Information: Defence Materiel Organisation - AIR5077 Project Wedgetail