The first 737-700 was introduced to the world at The Boeing Company's Renton plant on December 8, 1996. Nearly 50,000 guests attended the Next-Generation 737 celebration.The Boeing Next-Generation 737s are the most advanced single-aisle airplanes in the market today. While these new airplanes retain the characteristics that made 737 classics so popular worldwide ~ reliable, simple and economical to operate ~ they underwent dramatic revisions. The 737-700 also is used for Project Wedgetail, an airborne early warning and control system for the Royal Australian Air Force, and for the U.S. Navy's C-40A Navy-Unique Fleet Essential Aircraft (NUFEA)