The Air Force’s E-4B is better known by its nickname: the Doomsday Plane. In the event of a global crisis, key members of the U.S. government — including the president — may need to take to the skies in a manner than can withstand the aftereffects of a nuclear weapon. Building a plane to survive under those conditions isn’t easy — and now, a new team has been selected to build its next generation.
The formal name for the project is the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, or SAOC. The U.S. Air Force recently announced that a team that includes Sierra Nevada Corporation and Rolls Royce will be developing the successor to the E-4B. Among the elements that made this team’s proposal stand out was its emphasis on open systems.
“With a focus on open architecture, our SAOC proposal concentrated on providing the services we are widely known for: best-of-breed innovative solutions,” said Sierra Nevada owner and CEO Fatih Ozmen. “We are ready and excited for the opportunity to design the mobile command center of the future.”
“[W]e are proud to pair our proven pedigree with the collective expertise of SNC and the rest of the SAOC team to ensure our military leaders have the platform to protect our national security when it matters most,” said Adam Riddle, the President – Defense for Rolls-Royce plc and Chairman and CEO of Rolls Royce North America, in a statement.
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