With the retirement of the surviving Air Operations Center (SAOC), the current "doomsday aircraft" of the US military, in the next decade, the development of a new generation of aerial fortresses has officially begun.
According to information disclosed by the US Air Force this week, electronic systems and system integration provider Sierra Nevada has successfully won a $13.08 billion contract to develop the next generation of the Doomsday aircraft, which is expected to be completed by July 10, 2036.
(Source: US Department of Defense website)
The existing configuration is about to be retired
As the name suggests, the reason why SAOC is called the "Doomsday Aircraft" is mainly because its design purpose is to carry the US President (or legal successor) to continue issuing orders to the US military in the event of nuclear war or other major disasters rendering the ground command center unusable. Under normal circumstances, this aircraft will also undertake travel missions for the US Secretary of Defense.
The current configuration of the US military's "Doomsday Aircraft" is four E-4Bs that have been in service since the 1970s, modified from Boeing 747-200 large passenger planes, equipped with conference rooms, briefing rooms, and advanced communication equipment. E-4B can perform aerial refueling and withstand nuclear explosions and various electromagnetic reactions. These aircraft are expected to retire in the early 1930s.
At the same time, with Boeing officially discontinuing production of the Boeing 747 in 2023, outdated components have made maintaining these aircraft increasingly difficult and expensive.
The US Department of Defense also stated on Friday that the new "Doomsday Aircraft" will still be based on commercial jet airliners and will be reinforced and modified to meet the requirements of the Department of Defense.
Is this money enough?
According to a US military announcement, Sierra Nevada was awarded a "cost plus reward fee, fixed price reward (fixed target), and cost plus fixed fee contract", which confirms previous rumors that Boeing, which originally participated in this bid, was eliminated due to its refusal to sign a fixed price contract that could result in its own losses. Once the cost exceeds the budget, the contractor will have to pay out of their own pocket.
The announcement mentions that with $13 billion, Sierra Nevada needs to deliver engineering, manufacturing, and development to SAOC, as well as related ground systems, aircraft production, and temporary contractor support.
According to previous reports, Boeing incurred losses of over $1 billion in similar "fixed price" projects in 2023. This includes the development of NASA's "Interstellar Route" spacecraft, which will host its first manned mission next week, as well as the next generation presidential aircraft, "Air Force One.". According to statistics, Boeing has incurred losses of over $16 billion in fixed price projects over the past decade.
At this week's earnings conference call, Boeing also emphasized that it will continue to "reduce the risk of fixed price development projects" this year.
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