The US Air Force announced a $13 billion contract to buy a series of new command aircraft to replace its fleet of four E-4Bs that are nearing the end of their service life.
The Pentagon announced on April 27 that it has awarded a contract worth more than $13 billion to Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop, build, and deliver a fleet of Survivable Airborne Command Center (SAOC) aircraft and ground support systems by 2036.
"The squadron will replace the E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, which were built in the 1970s and are nearing the end of their operational life. This is an essential weapon system for national security, helping to ensure our ability to communicate and command our nuclear forces for decades to come," said a US Air Force spokesman.
US officials have not disclosed the number of SAOC aircraft ordered. The US media has mentioned the possibility of buying 8-10 aircraft to replace the current fleet of 4 E-4Bs.
An E-4B aircraft flies over Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska in 2009. Photo: USAF
Details of the SAOC's configuration have not been released, but the Air Force says they will be based on civilian aircraft that have been reinforced and adapted to military requirements. Each will be equipped with highly secure communications systems, electromagnetic pulse resistance, and other features.
The US Air Force currently operates four specially equipped Boeing 747-200 aircraft called the E-4B Nightwatch, nicknamed the “doomsday planes”. When they take off, they are called the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC). This has always been the best option for the US president to survive a nuclear attack.
Unlike the comforts of Air Force One, the E-4B is a mobile war command center, carrying dozens of military analysts, strategists and communications assistants to assist the US president. They are equipped with many special components, such as wire antennas up to 8 km long to maintain communication with nuclear submarines, even if ground communication stations are destroyed.
During the late Cold War, an E-4B Nightwatch aircraft was kept on standby at Andrews Air Force Base, ready to take off with the US president at just 15 minutes' notice.
Today, the US Air Force always deploys E-4B aircraft to fly with or near the US president on foreign trips. A Nightwatch is also always on standby at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, with its engines running 24/7 and ready to take off to pick up the president in an emergency.
Vu Anh (According to War Zone )
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