Sierra Nevada’s first check flight of the Survivable Airborne Operations Heart marks a serious step in changing the getting older E-4B “Nightwatch” fleet launched within the Nineteen Seventies.
The E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Heart (SAOC), the U.S. Air Pressure’s substitute for the getting older E-4B “Nightwatch” fleet, has entered flight testing. Prime contractor Sierra Nevada Company (SNC) introduced on Sep. 3, 2025, that the primary check flight befell on Aug. 7, starting a multi-year marketing campaign to validate the plane forward of the complete modifications.
The SAOC program is without doubt one of the most important parts of the Air Pressure’s Nuclear Command, Management, and Communications (NC3) modernization effort, designed to offer survivable airborne command and management for nationwide management within the occasion of a disaster or nuclear trade. Equally to the E-4B, the brand new SAOC will likely be a specialised variant of a industrial by-product plane, the Boeing 747-8I.
First Flight and Take a look at Marketing campaign
SNC confirmed that the preliminary flight occurred at its Dayton, Ohio facility, the place the corporate is internet hosting 4 Boeing 747-8I airframes bought from Korean Air for conversion into the long run E-4C fleet. In keeping with the corporate, each flight and floor testing will proceed into 2026 at websites in Dayton and Wichita, Kansas, with the intention to set up the technical design baseline earlier than intensive modifications start.
“Engaging in these check actions early within the developmental program was a distinguishing facet of SNC’s revolutionary method to handle danger and keep away from issues from arising later within the schedule,” the corporate stated.
The early check marketing campaign is meant to validate engineering assumptions and cut back danger forward of the advanced work required to harden the 747-8 airframes in opposition to nuclear and electromagnetic threats, whereas integrating safe communications and different mission programs.
A $13 Billion Contract
The Air Pressure awarded SNC a $13 billion engineering and manufacturing growth contract in April 2024 for the SAOC program. The deal covers growth, modification, manufacturing plane, related floor programs, and interim assist, with work scheduled to proceed by means of 2036.
SNC’s choice got here after Boeing withdrew from the competitors in late 2023. This additionally represents one of many largest contracts assigned to the corporate, which previously has already labored on the Air Pressure’s A-29 Tremendous Tucano, M-28 Particular Operations plane, C-130s, in addition to the Military’s Athena ISR program.
This system requires the supply of plane able to changing the present E-4B fleet, which averages greater than 50 years of service. Although the Air Pressure has not confirmed what number of plane will finally be procured, experiences recommend a doable fleet of eight to 10 plane. SNC has already acquired 5 plane for conversion.
From E-4B to E-4C
The prevailing E-4B Nightwatch plane, based mostly on the Boeing 747-200, entered service within the Nineteen Seventies. Their position because the Nationwide Airborne Operations Heart (NAOC) has earned them the nickname “Doomsday planes” because of their mission: offering airborne command and management for U.S. management within the occasion of nuclear battle or different catastrophic situations.
The E-4B is designed to hold the U.S. Secretary of Protection in addition to different U.S. prime officers and all the time helps Air Pressure One’s journeys overseas. Over the a long time, the E-4B fleet has served as a flying command publish, able to coordinating civil authorities, directing navy forces, and transmitting Emergency Motion Messages to U.S. strategic forces.
The plane are hardened in opposition to electromagnetic pulses, outfitted with safe satellite tv for pc communications, and able to working independently of floor infrastructure for prolonged durations. That’s why this highly-modified Boeing 747 doesn’t characteristic trendy glass cockpit however quaint, analogue-style avionics are extra resilient to EMPs.
With the E-4B’s age and rising upkeep challenges, the Air Pressure has prioritized their substitute. The brand new E-4C plane, constructed on Boeing’s 747-8 platform, will incorporate trendy open-architecture programs, superior safety in opposition to nuclear and digital assault, air-to-air refueling, and modular mission programs that may be quickly upgraded.
Industrial Workforce and Infrastructure
Since being awarded the contract, SNC has quickly expanded its infrastructure to assist the SAOC program. The corporate has established a rising hub at its Aviation Innovation and Know-how Heart (AITC) in Dayton, Ohio, including new hangars to deal with the size of labor required.
In April 2025, SNC introduced the arrival of its fourth 747-8I plane to Dayton. Whereas these 4 plane are already present process modification, there aren’t any particulars concerning the fifth plane.
Whereas SNC is the Prime Contractor, the SAOC group brings collectively a number of main aerospace business companions. Collins Aerospace, GE Aerospace, Greenpoint Applied sciences, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Wichita State College’s Nationwide Institute for Aviation Analysis (NIAR), and Rolls-Royce are all supporting varied elements of design, engineering, propulsion, and mission programs integration, in accordance with SNC.
Strategic Position and Future Outlook
The Pentagon emphasizes that the survivability of airborne command facilities just like the E-4C is important for sustaining deterrence. By making certain U.S. management can command forces and handle crises even when ground-based amenities are destroyed, the SAOC strengthens the nation’s command and management capabilities.
The Air Pressure presently operates 4 E-4B Nightwatch plane. 4 would even be the minimal variety of E-4Cs required to take care of round the clock availability, with one plane sometimes airborne each 12 hours and one other on five-minute alert, based mostly on the USAF reality sheet.
Supply of the complete E-4C fleet is scheduled to be full by 2036. Within the meantime, SNC will proceed the check and growth marketing campaign, progressing towards full-scale modification of the 747-8I airframes within the coming years.
