infrastructure will ready RAF Lossiemouth for the arrival of the UK E-7 Wedgetail aircraft

A new facility ready for the arrival of the E-7 Wedgetail fleet at RAF Lossiemouth will be built under an £83 million contract with Boeing Defence UK (BDUK).

Under the contract, placed by DE&S, BDUK has subcontracted McLaughlin & Harvey Construction in Glasgow to undertake the build. The contract will boost the local economy and supporting supply chain, including through the creation of 125 jobs in the local area, reaffirming the UK Government’s commitment to investing in Scotland.

The surveillance fleet will be housed at the Scottish base, alongside the recently completed Atlantic Building, from which the UK’s Poseidon fleet already operates.

The DE&S E-7 Wedgetail delivery team manage the contract through which the work will take place. Lyndon Jones, E-7 Wedgetail infrastructure lead, said: “We are proud to have facilitated this major milestone that will allow the colocation of the Wedgetail aircraft with the Poseidon fleet, drawing together the various supporting functions to drive efficiencies across the enterprise.”

The Wedgetail is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets, using the information it gathers to improve situational awareness and direct assets such as fighter jets and warships. The facilities will be ready for the arrival of the first Wedgetail aircraft, marking a return to RAF Lossiemouth for 8 Squadron after an absence of 30 years.