Sierra Nevada Corp. signs $13B contract to build Air Force ‘doomsday plane’
The Company expects to design and manufacture the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), the aircraft that will replace the E-4B, by July 10, 2036
American aerospace, defense, electronics, engineering and manufacturing corporation Sierra Nevada Corp signed a $13 contract in the U.S. Friday to build the new doomsday plane.
The Company expects to design and manufacture the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), the aircraft that will replace the E-4B, by July 10, 2036.
The U.S. Air Force immediately obligates Sierra Nevada to begin work on SAOC with $59 million in research, development, test and evaluation funds.
In the event of a nuclear war or other catastrophic emergency that destroys ground-based command-and-control centers, the president can command forces using the National Airborne Operations Center, or E-4B. Four E-4s that have been in service with the Air Force since the 1970s are nearing the end of their useful lives.
The Pentagon's contract announcement stated that Sierra Nevada's contract to develop and produce SAOC would include interim contract support, production aircraft, associated ground systems and engineering and manufacturing development aircraft.
According to the Air Force, Sierra Nevada will construct SAOC using a modified and fortified variant of a commercial derivative aircraft.
A modular open-system approach will also incorporate modern secure planning and communication capabilities.
SAOC's ground support systems will comprise trainers for aircrew, mission crew, and maintainers, ground support equipment, test and sustainment system integration laboratories and additional systems.
Source: Newsroom
