Boeing's Wedgetail, now flown by the Royal Australian Air Force, has long been seen as the top contender for the job. The announcement comes days after the Air Force revealed it wants to cut its total order of the helicopter by one-third, to 75. AWACS jets have been in use at Tinker since the 1970s, but are getting harder to maintain and more vulnerable in combat. If the testing process were to slip further, "there's not a lot of leeway" to reach a decision on full-rate production by the end of fiscal 2023, Lt. Gen. Eric Fick said. The Air Force plans to retire four of its 16 E-8C JSTARS planes by Oct. 1. Sharp ship shooters, soldiers deploy to Europe, a golden landing and more in this week’s Frontline Photos. The Air Force wants to know how a potential contractor would provide at least two prototype replacements for the AWACS by 2028. Elizabeth Warren is calling on the Pentagon to stop censoring its annual weapons testing report. Flight trackers have spotted American Rivet Joint, Global Hawk, Reaper and Joint STARS aircraft, plus allied assets. They come in a pack of four. Load More