USAF Advances with New Boeing 747-8i for Next-Gen ‘Doomsday Plane
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Sierra Nevada Corp (SNC) delivered a Boeing 747-8i to the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University to continue with the next phase of engineering and manufacturing development for the future replacement of the E-4B.
The aerospace and national security company, with expertise in integrating elite mission systems, completed another stage under the contract for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) of the United States Air Force. This agreement, awarded in April 2024, will renew the fleet of E-4B «Nightwatch» aircraft that has been in service for 50 years, serving as an airborne command center for the President (POTUS), the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) to ensure critical command, control, and communication (C3) during national emergencies.
SNC strategically partnered with the NIAR team at Wichita State University to leverage its globally recognized expertise in the most critical areas of aerospace research and development to provide an innovative and cutting-edge solution for the USAF. NIAR’s expertise in composite and advanced materials, digital twin, advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, aircraft and component testing, and certification makes it a valuable addition to the SAOC team led by SNC.
Jon Piatt, Executive Vice President at Sierra Nevada Corp, stated, «Our customers have asked us for an open architecture (OA), digitally twinned solution to reduce the lifecycle costs of this critical mission. SNC’s expertise in modifying derivative commercial aircraft and open systems architecture complements NIAR’s digital modeling and other capabilities well.»
New hangar for the program
In October, SNC celebrated the opening of the second state-of-the-art hangar for its Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC) and simultaneously began the construction of two additional hangars to support ongoing work on the SAOC contract and other major aircraft modification projects. The arrival of the second Boeing 747-8i at the AITC under the SAOC program allowed the company to deliver the first aircraft to NIAR to begin its work.
The USAF’s selection of SNC for the SAOC program marked one of the largest aircraft modernization contracts awarded to a company other than the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). SNC leads this transformation as one of the top mid-tier private aerospace and defense (A&D) contractors, bringing vast expertise from its 60 years of history.
The SAOC team led by SNC also includes global A&D industry leaders Collins Aerospace, GE Aerospace, Greenpoint Technologies Inc, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, NIAR, and Rolls-Royce. This team of major companies leverages their respective expertise to deliver innovation, efficiency, engineering, and accelerated, cost-effective deliveries to modernize the E-4B fleet with next-generation NC3 capabilities.
E-4B «Nightwatch»
The E-4 series was based on the modification of four Boeing 747-200 airframes to serve as a survivable mobile command post for the National Command Authority, namely the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and their successors. The aircraft are capable of withstanding electromagnetic pulses and feature thermal shielding to better endure the effects of nuclear detonations.
Their interiors are equipped with conference rooms and secure communication systems, enabling U.S. leaders to issue orders to the military in case of a national emergency. The four E-4s are operated by the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 55th Wing, based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska.
The four E-4B aircraft currently operated by the USAF are increasingly difficult and costly to maintain due to obsolescence of both the airframes and their spare parts. The «Doomsday Plane» fleet is expected to reach the end of its operational life in the early 2030s.
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