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U.S. Air Force E-4B Doomsday Planes Replacement Program Progresses

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Republished By Plato
Republished By Plato

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The first B-747-8i to be converted into an E-4C was relocated to Wichita last month for the next phase of work.

As we have already reported, 0n Apr. 26, 2024, Sierra Nevada Corporation secured a $13 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop the replacement for the E-4B Nightwatch, a highly specialized aircraft that serves as an airborne command center for the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication (C3), also known as the “Doomsday plane” for its nuclear war and emergency command roles.

The first B-747-8i to be converted into an E-4C was relocated to Wichita last month for the next phase of work.The E-4B Nightwatch

While the exact number of aircraft to be procured remains undisclosed, some reports suggest the Air Force intends to acquire between 8 to 10 aircraft for the SAOC (Survivable Airborne Operations Center) fleet.

Following the SAOC contract award, Korean Air disclosed plans to sell five of its Boeing 747-8 aircraft SNC as part of a deal, valued at 918 billion Korean won (about $674 million), said to support Korean Air’s strategy to replace older planes with newer models, expected to be finalized by September 2025.

Therefore, under the U.S. Air Force’s SAOC program SNC will modernize and upgrade five ex-Korean Air B-747-8i aircraft, and deliver a replacement for the current fleet of E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, which will be officially designated the E-4C.

The first of five ex-Korean Air B-747-8 (HL7630) arrived at Dayton International, Ohio, on Jun. 4, 2024.

The first aircraft, that was later spotted outside Sierra Nevada hangar at Dayton International Airport during the 2024 CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show, sporting the US registration N747US, was followed by a second one which arrived at Sierra Nevada’s Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC) in Dayton, Ohio, on Oct. 30, 2024, after a 12-hour flight from Seoul.

With the arrival of the second ex-Korean Air 747-8i, the first one could be destined to the next phase of the program.

On Nov. 15, 2024, the 747-8i N747US was moved from SNC’s Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC) in Dayton, Ohio, to Wichita State University’s National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) in Kansas. According to SNC, the transfer marked the next step in the engineering and manufacturing phase of the SAOC program.

The track of N747US on Nov. 15, 2024 (Image credit: screenshot from Flightradar24.com)

SNC has in fact teamed up with Wichita State’s NIAR to leverage its expertise in advanced aerospace R&D (Research and Development). According to SNC, NIAR brings cutting-edge capabilities in areas like digital twin technology, composites, advanced manufacturing, and certification, making it an ideal partner for delivering this next-generation solution.

“Our customers want an open architecture solution with digital twin capabilities to lower life cycle costs for this vital mission,” said Jon Piatt, Executive Vice President at SNC. “Our expertise in commercial-derivative aircraft and open systems architecture pairs perfectly with NIAR’s strengths in digital modeling and advanced technologies.”

Digital modeling is the new mantra of aircraft development as it uses advanced computer-aided engineering (CAE) and Digital Twin technologies to create a virtual representation that accurately reflects real-world performance. This brings agility and speed to a process that would otherwise be much longer.

In addition to NIAR, the SNC-led SAOC team includes other major players like Collins Aerospace, GE Aerospace, Greenpoint Technologies, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and Rolls-Royce. Together, these industry leaders bring innovation, precision engineering, and speed to modernize the aging E-4B fleet and deliver NC3 capabilities.

The new E-4C will enter service in 2036, meaning that there will be plenty of B-747-8 at various stages of their modification process at Dayton in the next years. SNC has been growing rapidly at its Dayton AITC site, recently opening a second high-tech hangar and starting construction on two more to handle projects like SAOC.

The U.S. Air Force operates four E-4B aircraft, managed by the Air Force Global Strike Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Typically, one aircraft is airborne every 12 hours, with another ready for immediate departure within 5 minutes. If the plan to operate 8-10 SAOC aircraft is confirmed, the E-4C fleet will be much larger than the current one.

HL7631, the second B-747-8i destined to E-4C conversion taking off from Seoul Incheon International ahead of its delivery to SNC (Image credit: H.Bin_Plane_Photo)

The E-4B Nightwatch

The E-4B is a modified Boeing 747-200, which entered service in late 1974. An evolution of the E-4A, the first B model was delivered to the Air Force in January 1980, with the fleet completely converted to the E-4B by 1985. All E-4B aircraft are operated by the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

The E-4B Nightwatch serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), providing command, control, and communications for nuclear and conventional forces.

The E-4B aircraft is essential for transporting the U.S. Secretary of Defense and other high-ranking officials during international trips alongside Air Force One. It is designed to ensure the survival of key decision-makers during nuclear conflicts or other crises. To fulfill this role, it is fortified against electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), featuring resilient analog-style avionics less susceptible to EMPs.

An E-4B from Global Strike Command, Barkesdale Air Force Base, La., sits on the ramp at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., June 9, 2017. The E-4B serves as the National Airborne Operations Center and is a key component of the National Military Command System for the President, the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nicole Leidholm/Released)

The E-4B’s robust electrical system supports advanced electronics and communications equipment. It has a sophisticated satellite communications system for global connectivity and additional features like nuclear and thermal effect shielding, acoustic control measures, an upgraded technical control facility, and improved air conditioning systems for cooling electrical components.

The main deck of the Nightwatch aircraft is divided into six key areas: command workspace, conference room, briefing area, operations team workspace, communications zone, and rest facilities. An E-4B can accommodate up to 112 personnel, including a joint-service operations team, Air Force flight crew, maintenance and security personnel, communications specialists, and select support staff.

Given the sensitivity of the E-4B, the Air Force rarely shows its interior. However, earlier this year, Hill AFB’s 2D Audiovisual Squadron released two B-Roll videos showing both the exterior and the interior of the aircraft, with the crew performing their day-to-day activities.

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As already explained, the aircraft is often referred to as the Doomsday plane, an unofficial nickname that, within the aviation community, is not unique to the E-4B though.

The E-6B Mercury fleet, operated by the U.S. Navy, serve a critical dual function within U.S. strategic operations, providing command and control for both the U.S. Navy’s submarine communications and the U.S. Air Force’s strategic forces.

The E-6B TACAMO (“Take Charge and Move Out”) is also often referred to as a “Doomsday plane“. In fact, the aircraft has the unique capability of serving as an Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS), allowing it to remotely launch Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), a role originally performed by the U.S. Air Force’s EC-135 Looking Glass fleet until its retirement in 1998, at which point the Navy’s E-6A Hermes aircraft, originally designed solely for submarine communication, were upgraded to the E-6B standard to take over the Looking Glass mission.

In addition to their primary mission of ensuring communication with nuclear submarines, the E-6B fleet is frequently involved in Global Power Missions, which are long-range bomber sorties. During these missions, the E-6B aircraft offer crucial support by maintaining secure communication links with the bombers via the High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS) as they fly from the U.S. to forward-deployed positions in Europe. This capability ensures seamless communication during the transition from U.S.-based alert stations to forward European operations, with the aircraft’s role shifting to support the bombers as they cross the Atlantic.

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