An Air Force E-4B Night Watch is parked on the tarmac at Lincoln Airport in Nebraska on March 26, 2022. Sierra Nevada Corp. won a $13 billion contract from the Air Force to build a Survival Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) to replace the aging E-4B "Doomsday Aircraft." (Daniel Woolfork / Air Force Times)
The U.S. Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) a contract worth more than $13 billion to provide it with a fleet of highly specialized Survival Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) aircraft, as reported on the theater website on April 26. These aircraft will help ensure that the president and other senior military officials are able to perform their duties, including directing a nuclear strike, and whatever happens, they will replace the U.S. Air Force's aging Boeing 747-200-based E-4B night patrol "Doomsday aircraft."
Why did Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) win?
The Sierra Nevada, Inc. in Englewood, Colorado, was awarded a $13,080,890,647 cost-plus-incentive, fixed-price incentive (fixed-target) and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract from the Survival Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), according to the Pentagon's daily briefing. It is unclear how many SAOCs the US Air Force plans to buy. The U.S. Air Force currently has only four E-4Bs in service, but there have been previous rumors that it will buy eight to 10 SAOCs.
The contract provides for the development and production of SAOC weapon systems, including the delivery of engineering and manufacturing development aircraft, associated ground systems, production aircraft, and temporary contractor support. Work will take place in Englewood, Colorado, Sparks, Nevada, Beavercreek, Ohio, and Vandalia, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by July 10, 2036.
Previously, its main competitor was Boeing, but because Boeing and the U.S. Air Force "couldn't reach an agreement on data rights and contract terms, the U.S. aircraft maker refused to sign any fixed-price agreements that limit its costs from paying more than the agreed limit." ”
Boeing's defense division lost $1.3 billion on fixed-price development efforts last year alone, including the high-profile VC-25B presidential Air Force One replacement program, and other programs including the T-7 trainer, KC-46 tanker, MQ-25 carrier-based unmanned tanker, and MH-139 support helicopter, all of which have seen their profitability plummet. Back in 2014, Boeing lost $16.3 billion on fixed-price projects.
Rendering of the future VC-25B Air Force One jet. air force
This bad experience may have been a key factor in Boeing's final decision to withdraw from competition for the SAOC program. Last October, Boeing's chief financial officer, Brian West, confirmed that Boeing had not signed any fixed-price development contracts and would not sign any more fixed-price development contracts in the future.
However, Boeing's move has opened the door for Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to pursue the Survival Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program.
In response, a Boeing spokesperson confirmed to the media that the company is no longer competing for SAOC contracts: "We are treating all new contract opportunities with greater discipline to ensure that we can meet our commitments and support the long-term health of our business." We remain confident that our SAOC approach is the most comprehensive, technologically mature, and lowest-risk solution for our customers and Boeing. Our recommendations are based on 60 years of knowledge and experience in military-commercial derivative aircraft, including the design, development, and maintenance of the E-4B Night Patrol, which currently serves national security command and control missions. ”
What is a "Survival Airborne Operations Center"?
The Survival Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) is the successor to the U.S. Air Force's current E-4B aircraft and is actually the next generation of U.S. "doomsday aircraft." The U.S. Air Force has allocated $59 million for research, development, and testing and evaluation funding to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to begin SAOC work immediately. The program is expected to be completed by July 10, 2036.
"The development of this critical national security weapons system ensures that the Department of Defense's nuclear command, control, and communications capabilities are operationally relevant and secure for decades to come," a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said. ”
Officially known as the "National Air Command Center," the E-4B is designed to allow the president to command troops in the event of a nuclear war or other devastating emergency that destroys a ground command and control center. 4 E-4s of the US Air Force have been flying since the 70s of the 20th century and are now nearing the end of their service life. Therefore, the U.S. Air Force urgently needs to develop a new generation of "doomsday aircraft" - the "Survival Airborne Operations Center" (SAOC).
An Air Force E-4B taxied and took off at Lincoln Airport in Nebraska on March 26, 2022. (Daniel Woolfork / Air Force Times)
The core mission of the E-4B today is to provide a robust and survivable air command post that can be used by the President of the United States through the National Command Agency (NCA) to launch a nuclear strike from the United States anywhere in the world. That's why these planes are often referred to as the world's "doomsday planes".
Unlike ordinary air command aircraft, the "Doomsday Plane" can serve as the air command post of the country's top leaders and military leaders after a nuclear war. In particular, in the event of the outbreak of a nuclear war or the destruction of ground command facilities, the "Doomsday Plane" can take off in the shortest possible time and assume the function of organizing and commanding the "three-in-one" nuclear strike force. Usually, the "Doomsday Plane" accompanies the deployment and operation of the presidential plane "Air One", so it is known as the sister aircraft of "Air One" and the "Air Pentagon".
What will the next generation of "doomsday planes" look like?
The U.S. Air Force previously mandated that SAOC aircraft must have four engines, which, along with operational safety and other requirements, seems to preclude proposals based on any aircraft other than the 747. This suggests that the new aircraft platform will almost certainly still be a Boeing product.
Although it has not yet been confirmed, it is assumed that SNC's SAOC will be a modified version of the latest used model, the 747-8. Notably, SNC's new maintenance, repair and overhaul hangar, which opened in Dayton, Ohio, last August covers approximately 90,000 square feet and is the size and space to accommodate a single 747-8 aircraft.
The more modern 747-8 is likely to be a candidate for the SAOC, which Boeing has chosen for its VC-25B presidential Air Force One replacement program.
The U.S. Air Force said Sierra Nevada would use an enhanced and modified version of the commercially derived aircraft to build the SAOC. It will use a modular, open-systems approach to encompass modern secure communication and planning capabilities. This proves this speculation even more.
There are few specific details about SNC's SAOC configuration, but they need to have an advanced and highly secure communications suite and electromagnetic pulse to enhance their capabilities, among other things. Regardless of the final configuration of the SAOC aircraft, SNC's award of this contract is a major success for the company, which is known for its aircraft modification work. Not only that, but the company is increasingly working on projects that once belonged to "major" contractors like Boeing. It seems certain that the SAOC will offer a larger fleet than the current four E-4Bs, 8 to 10 aircraft mentioned in the past, and possibly even more.
Renderings of the interior and exterior of SNC's new hangar in Dayton, Ohio. snooker
The American press believes that the configuration of the 747 for the SAOC is also a logical continuation of the work carried out by the SNC in the past, which includes the Office of the Air Force Big Safari on behalf of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, which manages various special-mission aircraft projects. In particular, SNC has gained expertise in data and communications modifications, which will be at the heart of SAOC requirements. In fact, SNC has become a well-known name in the field of special mission aircraft integration, although SAOC is still a much larger project for the company.
It is worth noting that the SAOC program is only part of a broader effort within the US military to modernize nuclear command and control capabilities. The U.S. Navy is also working to acquire a new C-130J Hercules-type "Doomsday Aircraft" capable of communicating with underwater nuclear submarines to support the "Accept Mission, Act Now" (TACAMO) service-branch mission.
A fleet of 16 Boeing 707-based E-6B Mercury aircraft is currently on TACAMO missions, as well as another Air Force strategic air command post mission, nicknamed "Looking Glass." It is possible that the SAOC fleet will eventually (at least partially) take over the "speculum" mission. In any case, with the contract awarded to SNC, it is a sign that the US Air Force is stepping up with the next generation of "Doomsday Aircraft" programs, which will significantly change the face of its "Doomsday Aircraft" fleet in the mid-2030s.
The "Doomsday Plane" nuclear deterrence endangers world security
Against the backdrop of great changes in the world, the United States has spent huge sums of money to build the next generation of "doomsday aircraft", which is not only its global strategic need, but also sends a strong signal of nuclear deterrence to the international community.
The "Doomsday Plane" occupies an important position in the global strategy of the United States. It highlights its strategic value with its central role in nuclear deterrence, command and control, and operational command in times of crisis. During the Cold War, the U.S. nuclear deterrence policy relied heavily on its powerful arsenal of nuclear weapons, and the Doomsday Plane became a key component of its nuclear policy because it ensured the survival of the U.S. president and senior military officials and launched a nuclear strike in the event of a nuclear war. In peacetime, the Doomsday Plane can also provide a platform for the President of the United States to conduct global command in any crisis situation. But whether in peacetime or wartime, the "Doomsday Plane" is an important nuclear deterrent in the US nuclear strategy.
An Air Force E-4B Night Watch jet is parked on the tarmac at Lincoln Airport in Lincoln, Nebraska. The plane had another nickname: "Doomsday Plane". (Daniel Woolfork/Staff)
After the Biden administration took office, it made corresponding adjustments to the US nuclear policy. The focus is on advancing the nuclear arms control process, stepping up the modernization of nuclear weapons, and continuing to adhere to an ambiguous nuclear policy. At the same time, the United States has vigorously played up the nuclear threat from China and Russia, intending to pave the way for the modernization and next step of its nuclear weapons transformation, while also seeking more funding and an excuse to lower the "threshold" for the use of nuclear weapons.
After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States and NATO carried out an unprecedented strategic squeeze on Russia, especially the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons around Russia, forcing Russia's nuclear forces into a state of special combat readiness. It is worth noting that the United States and NATO have continuously adjusted their nuclear policies and deployments under the pretext of Russia's nuclear deterrence in order to lower the "nuclear threshold". On the one hand, it is necessary to step up the modernization of nuclear weapons. For example, we should speed up the upgrading of existing nuclear warheads and step up the research and development of new types of nuclear weapons; on the other hand, we should strengthen nuclear deterrence. For example, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines and other nuclear strike forces are frequently dispatched to military exercises in sensitive areas, NATO's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Russia's surrounding areas has been expanded, and the new high-profile exposure of building the next generation of "doomsday aircraft" has been revealed.
However, these "nuclear actions" of the United States do not bring security to the world, and the "doomsday plane" instead sends a more dangerous signal. The US nuclear strategy, nuclear policy, and nuclear deterrence cannot bring about peace and stability, let alone curb nuclear war, but instead push the world to the brink of a more dangerous nuclear war.