Pentagon Leaders Can’t Decide to Replace Falling-Apart E-3 Early Warning Plane Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/military/202102261082200518-pentagon-leaders-cant-decide-to-replace-falling-apart-e-3-early-warning-plane/ “Eyes in the sky” airborne radar systems are expected to be some of the first targets in a shooting war between major powers, and the preeminence of American systems has led Russia and China to develop long-range anti-radiation missiles dubbed “AWACS killers.” As the US Air Force’s E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) gets older and more frail, Pentagon leaders are debating whether to continue extending its lifespan or move on to a replacement. At a Wednesday roundtable during the Air Force Association’s Aerospace Warfare Symposium, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, head of Pacific Air Forces, urged the Pentagon to begin replacing its 31 Boeing E-3 Sentries with newer Boeing E-7 Wedgetails.