Survivable Airborne Command Center

[Zaphod58]

The Sierra Nevada Corporation was awarded the $13B contract to integrate the equipment and airframes for the E-4B replacement, known as the Survivable Airborne Operations Center after Boeing was disqualified. The contract requires them to provide airframes, and modifications for the required equipment. They currently have five Korean 747-8 airframes on contract, as Korean is divesting aircraft in their fleet modernization plan. The price of the airframes will be $675M, or about $135M per aircraft.  The last will be delivered by September 2025, with the first expected in the next few weeks.  

https://www.sncorp.com/news-archive/in-t...day-fleet/

It was announced this week that Rolls Royce will be a subcontractor for the program, suggesting that the aircraft will get new engines, possibly allowing for the use of SAFs going forward, certainly to increase the available electrical power for the mission systems required. The aircraft currently have GE GEnx-2B engines. With Rolls Royce being a subcontractor the aircraft could see those changed to RB211 variants, or even Trent 1000s.

https://simpleflying.com/rolls-royce-usa...-contract/

[Zaphod58]

Skunk Works will perform EMP hardening, and Rolls will provide new APUs. The aircraft will keep their current engines.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/05/...ay-planes/

[Maxmars]

Several decases ago I had the opportunity to visit Air Force 2, and I recall asking a question regarding EMP resistance... I was met with some piercing gazes... I was just a pup, and it only afterwards dawned on me that such questions were not 'uttered' in public, or spoken of among "visitors." (Remember, it was ages ago.)

I noticed that they are "hardening" these new models against EMP, but I have never heard how that is achieved, given the physical forces which EMPs consist of.  Do aircraft like these use fiber optics instead of fly-by-wire (perhaps both?)  Is there such a thing as practical EMP shielding in a platform like this?

[Zaphod58]

Several decases ago I had the opportunity to visit Air Force 2, and I recall asking a question regarding EMP resistance... I was met with some piercing gazes... I was just a pup, and it only afterwards dawned on me that such questions were not 'uttered' in public, or spoken of among "visitors." (Remember, it was ages ago.)

I noticed that they are "hardening" these new models against EMP, but I have never heard how that is achieved, given the physical forces which EMPs consist of.  Do aircraft like these use fiber optics instead of fly-by-wire (perhaps both?)  Is there such a thing as practical EMP shielding in a platform like this?

All military aircraft have to go through EMP testing. It’s gotten pretty advanced. There are two anechoic chambers that can lift the aircraft off the ground, and hit it with massive amounts of RF energy to check interference with various systems, and there are multiple locations that the aircraft taxi or are parked under a wire structure that hits them with one huge burst of energy. There are a few pictures of testing sites out, but it’s really not talked about.

For many years testing was done at Atlas-1, at Kirtland AFB. This structure, for years, was the largest non nuclear electromagnetic pulse generator in the world (two Marx generators to simulate a high altitude detonation and pulse). It also holds the record for the largest structure ever built entirely of wood and glue laminate. There were no metal fasteners or pieces, and wooden dowels were used to hold everything together.

[Maxmars]

Man, I really love Deny Ignorance.
Thank you for filling in the gaps of my ignorance!

Fascinating stuff, and I can fully understand the point of not exposing specifics.
I never considered the process of testing and development in that light.

[LogicalGraffiti]

I'm glad to see 747-8s getting new life.  They make great freighter aircraft which is what I'm most familiar with.  Shame that Korean didn't use them longer.  They've got a pretty big cargo operation.

[Zaphod58]

I'm glad to see 747-8s getting new life.  They make great freighter aircraft which is what I'm most familiar with.  Shame that Korean didn't use them longer.  They've got a pretty big cargo operation.

Korean is undergoing a fleet update that includes A350s, 787s, 777X, A321s, and 737 Max.  They have a total of 113 aircraft on order, and are expected to order another 30 787s at Farnborough next month. I'm guessing that the aircraft will be HL7631, HL7633, HL7637, HL7638, and possibly HL7644.

[Zaphod58]

HL7630 arrived in Dayton to become the first SAOC aircraft.

[Zaphod58]

Man, I really love Deny Ignorance.
Thank you for filling in the gaps of my ignorance!

Fascinating stuff, and I can fully understand the point of not exposing specifics.
I never considered the process of testing and development in that light.

Speaking of EMP testing, these were posted to Twitter. This is a recently upgraded RC-135 at the L3Harris facility in Texas undergoing testing.

https://x.com/airsuperiorx/status/178868...FeaE6XZSwQ

[Zaphod58]

HL7631, the second of five 747s from Korean was delivered to SNC in Dayton today, for conversion work.