(Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force said on Friday it had awarded a $13 billion contract to Sierra Nevada Corp to develop a successor to the E-4B, known as the Doomsday aircraft because of its ability to survive a nuclear war.
The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) project aims to replace aging aircraft from the 1970s, which are nearing the end of their useful life, an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.
Work on the SAOC will be conducted in Colorado, Nevada and Ohio and is expected to be completed in 2036, the Air Force added.
To meet operational requirements, the weapon system will include a commercially derived jet aircraft reinforced and modified to meet military requirements.
Reuters reported in December that the US Air Force had knocked Boeing out of its competition to develop a successor to the E-4B Nightwatch.
Although typically used to transport the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the E-4B is designed as a mobile command post capable of withstanding nuclear blasts and electromagnetic effects, allowing U.S. leaders to transmit orders to the army in case of national emergency.
The E-4B is also capable of in-flight refueling and has conference and briefing rooms as well as advanced communications equipment.
The Air Force currently operates four E-4B aircraft, with at least one on permanent alert. The fleet of highly modified Boeing 747-200 wide-body aircraft has become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain as parts become obsolete.
The E-4B is expected to reach the end of its service life in the early 2030s.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bangalore; editing by Shailesh Kuber)
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