After a three-year pause, Joint Base Andrews hosted its airshow this past weekend, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the installation just outside the nation’s capital.
The event opened for Department of Defense cardholders on Friday, September 12, before welcoming the public on Saturday and Sunday. The 2025 Joint Base Andrews Airshow highlighted the aviation capabilities of the US military. Spectators enjoyed aerobatic performances and an up-close look at both historic and modern aircraft through aerial demonstrations and static displays.
Headlining the show were the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the US Navy’s Rhino Demo Team, and the US Army Golden Knights parachute team, joined by demonstrations of the C-17 Globemaster III and KC-135 Stratotanker, along with civilian aerobatic performers and a wing-walking act.
In addition to flying demonstrations, the airshow featured a wide range of static displays. Visitors viewed aircraft including the stealth F-35A, F-15C Eagle, CV-22 Osprey from Air Force Special Operations Command, the UH-1N Huey from Joint Base Andrews’ 1st Helicopter Squadron, and the C-40C VIP transport aircraft operated by the DC National Guard.
The airshow also highlighted new Air Force procurement programs, including the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft, the EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft, and the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft. These displays at the National Capital Region’s premier military installation provided policymakers and military leaders with a firsthand look at the next generation of airpower.
According to staff, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy E. Meink toured the Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail, as the US Air Force’s full procurement of the aircraft remains in budgetary and political limbo. Based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation, the E-7 was originally developed for the Australian Defence Force and is already in service or planned for service with South Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The US Air Force seeks to follow allied nations in procuring the E-7, as its legacy E-3 Sentry faces forced retirement due to critical spare-part shortages and readiness issues. In 2023, the Air Force awarded Boeing a contract to produce 26 Wedgetails, with the first slated for fielding in 2027.
By 2025, however, the program faced uncertainty after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth questioned the Wedgetail’s survivability in contested airspace and suggested that space-based systems could provide a more viable solution. The Department of Defense indicated plans to cut most E-7 funding in favor of expanding the Navy’s smaller, carrier-capable E-2D Hawkeye fleet.
This decision prompted pushback from members of Congress, policy leaders, and current and former military officials, who called for full funding of the E-7 in the fiscal year 2026 budget. Lawmakers appeared to respond when the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a defense budget that included funding to continue procurement.
Seeking to strengthen support, Boeing used the airshow to showcase the platform. In addition to the Australian E-7 on static display, Boeing showcased a mobile demonstration trailer with simulators of the flight deck and mission crew consoles, giving policymakers a hands-on look at the Wedgetail’s capabilities.
Another highlight was the EA-37B Compass Call, the Air Force’s newest electronic warfare aircraft. Built on the Gulfstream G550 platform, the EA-37B replaces the C-130-based EC-130H Compass Call and delivers major improvements in range, survivability, and efficiency, along with expanded electronic warfare capabilities. The aircraft enables Airmen to disrupt adversary command-and-control, radar, and navigation systems, while supporting electronic attack and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD). First delivered in August 2024, the EA-37B flew its first training mission in May 2025. Its appearance at the show marked one of its first public showcases.
The Air Force is slated to acquire ten EA-37Bs, though military and congressional leaders and the EA-37B’s contractors, L3Harris and BAE Systems, have expressed interest in expanding the program, possibly doubling procurement to 20. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense included funding for two additional EA-37Bs in the fiscal year 2026 budget, though it remains unclear whether that funding will remain in the final bill.
Another key aircraft on static display was the KC-46 Pegasus, the Air Force’s newest aerial refueling platform. The KC-46 replaces the KC-135 Stratotanker and the recently retired KC-10 Extender. In addition to refueling, the aircraft supports cargo, personnel, and aeromedical transport. The KC-46 was first delivered in 2019, with the final of the initial 179 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2031.
The KC-46 program has faced major challenges since its selection in 2011, most notably with its refueling system. Unlike legacy KC-135s and KC-10s, the KC-46 uses cameras and sensors – known as the Remote Vision System (RVS) – to guide aircrew during refueling. The RVS experienced several shortcomings, prompting the Air Force to order Boeing to reengineer the system across all airframes.
One KC-46 crew member at Joint Base Andrews described a recent incident in which sun glare completely washed out the RVS display, forcing a refueling mission to be canceled.
The KC-46 has also been central to political and budgetary debates between Congress, the Pentagon, and industry. In 2025, the Air Force announced plans to procure an additional 75 KC-46s as an interim solution, rather than launching a new competition for a next-generation tanker.
Lawmakers responded by passing the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which restricts the Pentagon from buying additional KC-46s until a plan is implemented to address the aircraft’s critical deficiencies. These measures follow similar provisions in the 2025 NDAA. Meanwhile, Airbus continues to promote its A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport as an alternative, with NATO, the UAE, and Canada among its customers.
The airshow drew the attention of senior defense officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who visited on Friday to watch the Thunderbirds perform and later greeted the pilots and their ground crew.
The 2025 Joint Base Andrews Airshow not only entertained tens of thousands of spectators but also underscored the Air Force’s modernization challenges.