RAF’S lack of early warning radar planes a ‘serious threat’

MPS warn Air Force cuts and delays leave gaps in ‘warfighting ability’ against a foe like Russia

BRITAIN currently has no radar surveillance planes in what MPS have warned presents a “serious threat” to the nation’s “warfighting ability”.

The head of the RAF said the UK does “not have an airborne early warning capability at the moment” despite it being “fundamental to our ability to protect our country”.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton told the Commons last year that it was “important” that the gap be swiftly plugged.

The RAF retired its fleet of seven E-3 Sentry planes back in 2021 amid plans to replace them with the more advanced E-7 Wedgetail made by Boeing.

But delivery of the aircraft has been delayed, with the first now not expected to arrive until the second half of this year, the Government told MPS.

Ministers also scaled down the order for Wedgetails from five to three in a cost-cutting plan to save £700million.

The Commons defence committee has warned that RAF cuts raise “serious questions” over whether it could defend Britain from a foe like Russia.

In a report last autumn, it said the Air Force is now “too small to withstand the levels of attrition that would occur in a peer-on-peer war”. The body called on ministers to “consider as a matter of urgency how they can increase combat air mass in the short term”.

In its response, the Government said decisions on the size of the Armed Forces are “threat-led”.

It comes amid a growing public debate over the state of the Armed Forces and if Britain is prepared for the risk of open conflict with Moscow.

Last week, the head of the Army said ordinary Britons would have to be called up to fight if the UK goes to war because the military is now too small.

Questions have also been asked about the Navy’s preparedness after it emerged that HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer in the Red Sea, is not able to hit Houthi targets on land.

The report, published in September, highlighted the current lack of airborne radar as a major concern.

The committee said what was meant to be “a short-term capability gap” between the retirement of the Sentry and the introduction of the Wedgetail is now stretching to at least three years.

It said: “With only a limited number of [comparatively vulnerable] fixed and mobile land-based radars on UK soil, all of which would be primary targets for our opponents were the current Ukraine conflict to escalate, the capability gap… presents a serious threat to the UK’S warfighting ability.”

Sir Richard was grilled by Mark Francois, a former defence minister, about the lack of radar planes when he appeared before the committee in May.

Mr Francois raised concerns that, in the event of a war, fixed radar stations would be quickly taken out, leaving the UK “blinded in a shooting war with Russia”.

The Air Chief Marshal replied: “It is a very good point but my answer remains the same – we are part of a wider Nato air-defence system.

“On your question about E-7 and the fact that we do not have an airborne early warning capability at the moment, that is important to us - to the country, to the Air Force and to me.”

In response, the Government said the Wedgetail “will offer a step change in capability, providing fifth generation airborne surveillance, command and control that is essential to counter current and expected threats”.

It acknowledged there was “some increased risk against the UK’S ability to provide sovereign commitments and the UK’S contribution to Nato” as a result of shrinking the order to three.