The company behind the U.S. Air Force's new so-called "Doomsday" planes revealed details Wednesday of how it was developing the aircraft designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
In April, Sierra Nevada Corporation was awarded a $13 billion contract to replace the USAF's aging E-4B "Nightwatch" models, collectively known as the Survivable Airborne Operations Center. The Sparks, Nevada-based company saw off rival Boeing, the original equipment manufacturer, to secure the contract.
The SAOC planes serve as mobile command posts for the National Command Authority, including the president, defense secretary, and other senior military officials. They are capable of withstanding nuclear attacks and maintaining government communication and control during crises.
They are equipped with advanced communication systems, EMP protection, and the ability to refuel in mid-air, allowing them to remain operational for extended periods.
"We are ready and excited for the opportunity to design the mobile command center of the future," SNC CEO Fatih Ozmen said in a press release on Wednesday.
SNC announced Wednesday it is partnering with the likes of Lockheed Martin's advanced development program Skunk Works, and British aerospace company Rolls-Royce to work on building the new fleet and develop its technological capabilities.
"Our successful SAOC bid is a direct result of the long-term strategic vision of SNC's owners and our extraordinary team of engineers, program managers, technicians and leaders who possess the ingenuity and know-how to develop a solution tailor-made for the mission at hand," said Mark C. Williams, SNC's senior vice president of strategy.
SNC says it has purchased five 747-8is from Korean Air Lines to start building the fleet, expecting the first of these to arrive in Dayton, Ohio, within a matter of weeks.
The project is expected to be completed by 2036, with work being conducted in facilities in Colorado, Denver, and Ohio.
Newsweek has contacted both the SNC and the USAF for additional comment via email.
The current E-4B fleet, consists of four heavily modified Boeing 747-200 aircraft and has been in service since the 1970s.
Maintenance has become increasingly difficult and costly, with parts becoming obsolete. The E-4B's operational costs are nearly $160,000 per hour.
E-4B crafts were identified operating around the pentagon during the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon. One of the planes had reportedly been seen circling the skies over the Washington, D.C. area for an operational exercise, which was abruptly cancelled after the World Trade Center came under attack.
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Joe Edwards is a Live News Reporter in Newsweek's London bureau.
