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The Royal Australian Air Force, United States Air Force, and Royal Air Force have successfully collaborated in a major test initiative aimed at boosting global combat readiness and accelerating the acquisition of the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.
This significant milestone formally certifies the KC-46A Pegasus tanker to conduct air-to-air refuelling operations with the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) E-7A Wedgetail. The achievement also simplifies future certification processes for the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF), which are preparing to introduce their own Wedgetail fleets.
The broader effort reflects a shared trilateral commitment to enhanced operational output through mutual support, resource sharing and platform commonality – delivering increased reliability and efficiency at scale.
Testing took place under the direction of the 418th Flight Test Squadron’s Global Reach Combined Test Force. A deployed RAAF E-7A was paired with a KC-46A for this certification the first time the tanker has been certified to refuel a foreign aircraft of this type. The RAAF’s enhanced ability to refuel from the USAF’s KC-46A provides greater flexibility and reach for Australia’s air combat operations, expanding options beyond the KC-135 Stratotanker and Australia’s own KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
While the expanded capability will have an immediate strategic impact in the Indo-Pacific region, the collaborative testing effort also sets a strong foundation for allied integration as the RAF and USAF begin to bring their respective E-7A platforms into service.
“The RAAF is the original operator of the E-7A aircraft,” said Squadron Leader Owen Hamilton, Flight Commander at the Australian Research and Development Unit. “We’ve already overcome many of the early challenges with the platform. That experience positions us to help guide our UK and US counterparts as they bring their Wedgetail fleets online.”
Bringing together three allied nations for this testing required overcoming several hurdles, including aligning data-sharing protocols between the KC-46 and E-7A – two systems that had not previously operated together. With support from Boeing, the mission partner and KC-46 program office, the 418th FLTS worked to bridge these gaps and enable a smooth certification process.
“Sharing data and knowing how to interpret it is just as critical as the certification itself,” said Major Matthew Daughtery, a global reach test pilot with the 418th FLTS. “There were no existing benchmarks for this process, and the USAF and RAAF use different terminologies and procedures. Developmental testing is about finding a path to success – and this team proved it can be done.”
The RAF was also embedded in the testing campaign, gaining valuable early experience ahead of its own E-7A flight test program.
“This test represents the strength of collaboration and interoperability among our three nations,” said Squadron Leader Angus Lilly, RAF test pilot. “As we prepare to begin testing our own Wedgetail fleet, this early involvement is invaluable.”
The intensive test campaign, conducted over California’s Mojave Desert, marks a new chapter in airborne early warning and control capabilities. Lessons learned are already shaping future test planning, as the USAF and RAF continue their transition towards E-7A operations.
Importantly, the KC-46A Pegasus now holds a data baseline for certifying foreign aircraft types, a key step forward in testing efficiency and platform integration.
“The United States is showing what’s possible through trilateral engagement,” said Michael Baker, USAF Chief of E-7A Developmental Test. “Interoperability with the E-7A means our forces can focus on joint mission outcomes – not platform ownership. This lays the groundwork for continued collaboration and future enhancements to the Wedgetail program.”
The USAF is expected to begin testing its first E-7A Wedgetail later this decade.
