For 54 years Boeing provided a critical national security service for the United States Air Force, supplying a fleet of aircraft dubbed “Doomsday Planes.” Now, Boeing is out, and a new company is taking the reins to create the fleet of aircraft that will fly into the next generation, providing protection for U.S. national leaders and a military command post. Reports emerged of the change on Monday, June 3.
The Sierra Nevada Corporation landed a $13 billion contract with the Air Force and the enormous responsibility of replacing an aging fleet of E-4B “Nightwatch” aircraft from the 1980s, designed to act as a flying command post in case of nuclear attack on the U.S.
These new planes, known as Survivable Airborne Operation Centers (SAOC) are expected to be ready for service by 2036.
The current Nightwatch fleet has been on high alert since the 1970s during the time of the Cold War. These Boeing 747-200 aircraft can carry 112 people, like the U.S. secretary of defense. They are also equipped with a robust communications system. Just above the cockpit is the “survivable super high frequency satellite communications antenna,” which keeps the secretary in touch with the president on Air Force One.
Inside the aircraft, the E-4B is divided into several areas, including a command room, briefing room, communications room and a rest area. The high-tech aircraft are designed to withstand the aftereffects of a nuclear blast, and they’re capable of flying for up to 72 hours straight with the help of midair refuels.
Sierra Nevada will convert five Boeing 747-8s into the new “Doomsday Planes” that the company bought from Korean Air for $675 million. The work will begin in 2025 in Colorado, Nevada and Ohio.
These new aircraft will keep all the crucial features of the current fleet and fix gaps in technology. However, the Air Force is mum on what capabilities the current fleet and future fleet will have due to national security concerns.
Right now, four planes are in operation and two are kept flying during presidential inauguration day. One plane is for the incoming president in case of a national emergency and the other aircraft is for the outgoing president. The current Nightwatch fleet keeps one aircraft on alert and it is ready to go seven days a week, 365 days a year.