The US Air Force has given Sierra Nevada a $13 billion contract to develop a new “Doomsday plane” – essentially, a successor to the Boeing E-4B. The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) project will replace the aging aircraft fleet, which entered service in the 1970s.
Development on the new Doomsday plane will take place in Nevada, Ohio and Colorado, with Sierra Nevada scheduled to finish work by 2036. Similar to the E-4B, which is a modified Boeing 747-200B, this new iteration will be a derivative of a commercial jet that’s been modified to meet the requirements set out by the US Air Force.
The Air Force currently operates four E-4Bs, with one always at the ready. As technology has advanced and parts become more difficult to come by, the cost of maintaining the fleet has become impractical.
“Replacement of the E-4B fleet is necessary because of aging 1970s-era aircraft approaching end of service life,” a summary by the US government explained.
As Reuters reports, while the E-4B is primarily used to transport the US secretary of defense, it’s designed to serve as an aerial mobile command post in the event of a nuclear attack, with its exterior capable of withstanding atomic blasts. With conference and briefing rooms, as well as communications equipment, also onboard, the government can still run the country and spread information, even when typical means have been destroyed.
To ensure work on the new Doomsday plane can begin as soon as possible, the US Air Force will be providing $59 million for R&D, testing and evaluation. The service hopes to acquire between eight and 10 new aircraft for the SAOC program.
In an email to Defense News, a spokesperson for the service detailed, “The development of this critical national security weapon system ensures the department’s nuclear command, control, and communications capability is operationally relevant and secure for decades to come.”
Along with the actual aircraft itself, the Doomsday plane will require a variety of support personnel, such as an aircrew, those tasked with maintenance and a mission crew, as well as equipment and other systems.
Sierra Nevada has said of the contract, “SNC is building the airborne command center of the future! SAOC is a highly specialized aircraft that ensures continued critical command, control and communication during national emergencies for POTUS, Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff. We’re honored to support this important mission.”
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The US Department of Defense has revealed that the $13 billion contract includes a fixed-price incentive, a cost-plus-incentive fee and cost-plus-fixed fee components. Both Sierra Nevada and Boeing were in the running to develop the new aircraft, but the latter dropped out after learning there would be cost limitations.