US Air Force Awards $13 billion Doomsday aircraft contract
Sierra Nevada has been up against Boeing in the SAOC, with the latter having been eliminated from the competition in December. (Photo: USAF/US DoD)
The deal included engineering and manufacturing development aircraft, ground systems, production aircraft and interim contractor support until 2036.
Sierra Nevada Corporation has won a US$13 billion US Air Force (USAF) contract for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) aircraft, the successor of the E-4B “Doomsday” aircraft.
This deal will provide the development and production of the SAOC Weapon System to include the delivery of engineering and manufacturing development aircraft, associated ground systems, production aircraft and interim contractor support, the US DoD said. Work on the contract was slated to last until 2036.
Sierra Nevada was up against Boeing in the SAOC, with the latter having been eliminated from the competition in December.
As per USAF budget documents, the SAOC will be a commercially-sourced aircraft reinforced to withstand nuclear and electromagnetic impacts and equipped with aerial refuelling capability for prolonged airborne operations. Additionally, it will require secure command, control and communications systems, along with contemporary IT infrastructure.
The USAF initiated work on SAOC in 2019, but progress has been sluggish, with multiple delays. Progress would now, however, be expected to accelerate significantly. Funding for the programme has increased substantially, with the US Congress allocating $744 million for 2024, and the USAF seeking $1.7 billion in 2025, compared to just $94 million in fiscal year 2023.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![US Navy tests new comms pod for Marine Corps’ MQ-9A Reaper]()
US Navy tests new comms pod for Marine Corps’ MQ-9A Reaper
The pod, named SkyTower II (STII) was tested ahead of the system’s initial operational capability (IOC) in 2026.
-
![Dassault considers boosting Indian presence to support future Rafale production]()
Dassault considers boosting Indian presence to support future Rafale production
Discussion of any new production line in India would reportedly be for the F5 jet, although India is also closing in on cementing a deal for 26 Rafale-M aircraft for its Navy.
-
![US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production]()
US Navy Next-Generation Jammer approaches full-rate production
Raytheon is currently finalising the production of NGJ-MB lot 5 while working with the US Navy on contract requirements over multiple years.
-
![Australian Army aviation veers heavily towards the US]()
Australian Army aviation veers heavily towards the US
Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black Hawk and Boeing’s AH-46 Apache will soon form the bedrock of the Australian Army’s rotorcraft capabilities, as the army awaits further delivery of both types.
