11/23/2015: A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning, control and surveillance aircraft set a new record by flying a 17.1 hour operational mission over Iraq and Syria.
Along with a RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport and six F/A-18A Hornets, the Australian aircraft participate in close air support and precision strike operations, air-to-air refueling and airborne command and control in Iraq and Syria as part of the international coalition formed to disrupt and degrade the Daesh threat.
Credit: Australian MoD:11/18/15
The Wedgetail program went from “troubled” to trailblazing by starting with a significant and decisive decision.
An operational baseline was established after which the plane was put in the hands of the warfighters for training and preparing for operations.
A demand driven software development process, rather than hundreds of testers and bureaucratic overseers, can lead to the right kind of change in the rapid manner required for 21st century combat operations.