A RARE aircraft which is one of just three to provide the RAF with "eyes in the sky" landed at Southend Airport today.

Photos, taken by camera club members Simon Murdoch and Aaron Chesham, show the new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft landing at the airport today, which the Echo understands is for painting into RAF colours before eventually entering service.

The Wedgetail at Southend AirportRare visit - The Wedgetail at Southend Airport (Image: Aaron Chesham) The aircraft is a Boeing 737 which has been converted into the E-7, with its large "wedgetail" on its fuselage, for the RAF to detect and identify adversarial targets at long range and track multiple airborne and maritime threats simultaneously with 360-degree coverage.

 

The RAF website explains: "The Wedgetail is the most technologically advanced AEW&C [airborne early warning and control] system available and will provide UK defence with eyes in the sky, for at least the next 20 years, to see far beyond ground-based systems and fighter aircraft sensors."

Landing - it is one of just three RAF aircraftLanding - it is one of just three RAF aircraft of its kind (Image: Simon Murdoch) Currently unpainted, it is one of three in the UK undergoing modification at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham.

The E-7 conducted its first flight from Birmingham Airport just weeks ago, marking a significant milestone in the programme's test and evaluation phase. The future fleet will operate from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.