Survivable Airborne Operations Center | |
---|---|
Role | Airborne strategic command and control post |
Manufacturer | Sierra Nevada Corporation[1] |
Introduction | 2032 (planned) |
Status | In development |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Developed from | Boeing 747-8I |
The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) is a United States Air Force program to develop a replacement for the E-4 National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), a strategic command-and-control military aircraft used as a mobile command post for the National Command Authority in emergency situations.
The current E-4 platforms were built in the 1970s. The airframes are reaching the end of their operational lifespans and support costs are increasing. Because of this, in 2019, the USAF began a program to develop a new platform. This program will take several years to complete. The E-4s will continue to fulfill the role in the meantime.
Sierra Nevada Corporation was selected to develop the aircraft.[2] The company announced that the aircraft will be based on 747-8i and will be collaborating with Rolls Royce.[3][4][5]