USAF's new 'doomsday planes': Ready for nuclear resilience
The new "doomsday planes" the USAF will receive are designed to withstand the nuclear destruction of the United States and assure Americans that, in the event of a disaster, retaliation with nuclear weapons will follow.
During the Cold War, the risk of global nuclear conflict was a common expectation, with NATO and the Warsaw Pact both preparing for massive nuclear weapons use. It was expected that other countries with nuclear capabilities might also get involved. This acknowledgment was less about the complete destruction of life on Earth and more about the potential elimination of human civilization as we know it, causing significant challenges for several generations.
As a result, numerous efforts were made, particularly in the USA and the USSR, to safeguard some part of the state's potential for whatever future might come. One of these "survival system" elements was the development of "doomsday planes" or doomsday aircraft.
Survive the apocalypse and ensure response
"Doomsday planes" serve as airborne command centers. By taking to the air upon detecting the launch of ballistic missiles by an enemy, they provide relative safety for the crew. This is further supported by features such as increased resistance to electromagnetic pulses (e.g., those generated during a nuclear explosion), protection against cyberattacks (in newer versions), and the use of analog navigation instruments.
In the USSR, the Ilyushin Il-80 was developed and is now to be replaced by the delayed Ilyushin Il-96-400M program. In the USA, these functions were first performed by the EC-135J and now by the E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, version B. In the US, this aircraft ensures the safety and operational capability of the National Command Authority, focusing on the president (as Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces), the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and several key officials. These planes always accompany the US president aboard Air Force One.
Beyond the airborne command centers, other "doomsday" planes include the E-6B Mercury (an airborne command and communications post for supporting the command of strategic forces), the E-3 Sentry (an early warning and control aircraft), the E-8 Joint STARS (a battle management and ground surveillance aircraft), and the RC-135 Rivet Joint (an electronic reconnaissance aircraft).
Today, some of these tasks are executed by unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. Besides the planes carrying out key roles, which must remain airborne for extended durations (often several days without interruption), this "last airborne fleet of the USA" also requires numerous supporting aircraft, like aerial refuelers (e.g., KC-135 or KC-46).
"Night watch" of the american president
The E-4B Nightwatch aircraft is a key asset within the USAF and the strategic resilience system of the USA as a whole. Only four such aircraft were produced, and they belong to the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron, part of the 595th Command and Control Group stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
The E-4A was developed in the 1970s from the Boeing 747-200 passenger aircraft. The first two were delivered in 1973, with the last arriving in October 1974. Curiously, the third model had GE F103 engines, which eventually replaced the propulsion of the earlier models. By January 1985, the older planes had been upgraded to the E-4B standard. This program's cost was estimated at $548 million (equivalent to about $3.76 billion in 2023). In the mid-2000s, the aircraft underwent a modernization effort costing $2 billion. The operational cost of the small E-4B fleet runs into hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Based on the famous Jumbo Jets, these aircraft can accommodate up to 112 people, including the crew, mission personnel, and key passengers. Extensive modifications were made to the original civilian aircraft, including in-flight refueling capabilities—allowing uninterrupted flights for over 35 hours, and theoretically enabling the plane to stay airborne for a week.
The aircraft has three decks. The upper deck houses the flight crew and additional navigation equipment. The middle deck contains (from front to back): a galley, a VIP suite, a conference room with a nine-person table, a service room and briefing room, an operations team room (with workstations for 29 people), a communications room (six stations), and a rest area. The lower deck holds water tanks, battery accumulators, VLF and SHF SATCOM transmitters, a 5-mile spool-wound TWA antenna for communication with underwater ballistic missile carriers, and other equipment. One plane is always maintained in a state of readiness, awaiting the command to take off.
The successor of the most important American wartime aircraft
As mentioned, the E-4B planes are old, with production dating back to 1979. A proposal to retire them was made as early as 2006, but other pressing needs have delayed this. The program to build a successor—the E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center—only began in 2019. It is assumed that the E-4B will remain in service until 2039.
The Pentagon contracted Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop the new "doomsday plane." The company received a $13.1 billion contract, with the first tranche amounting to $49 million. This stage of the program will last until July 2036, during which the manufacturer must develop a new model, deliver a prototype, and produce the first operational machine. Ultimately, the US Air Force is set to receive eight such aircraft. The base platform will again be a Jumbo Jet, but a modern version of the 747-8. These will be used aircraft, as the production of this legendary passenger plane has ended. Specific units for conversion have already been selected.
Given the importance of the aircraft, specific requirements are, of course, not disclosed. It is known that it should provide safe and comfortable working conditions for the three key American wartime leaders. Modifications are expected to include increased resistance to electromagnetic pulses and possibly an active defense system. As a center for command, control, and communication with the US Armed Forces, it will certainly be outfitted with various communication systems, including those responsible for managing the nuclear arsenal.
Before a used Boeing 747-8 becomes an E-4C, it will likely be dismantled and reassembled. It will possibly take to the skies for the first time in a few years. Over the following years, its interior will become one of America's most closely guarded military secrets (materials from the interior of the E-4B have only recently been revealed). It will likely undergo numerous training flights and trial alarms. It is hoped the crew never has to launch the E-4C for its intended purpose.
