USAF picks partner to enhance Nightwatch survivability
E-4B special mission aircraft to benefit from ‘new capabilities’, says Air Force
L3Harris Technologies has been selected by Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to implement survivable super high frequency (SSHF) upgrades to the E-4B Nightwatch special mission aircraft.
Work on the $23.84 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract will be performed at Salt Lake City, Utah and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, for completion by 18 April 2022.
L3Harris Technologies was one of 67 companies to bid on the contract.
The aim of the SSHF upgrade is to ‘build new capabilities that form the foundation for maintaining the E-4B as an effective nuclear C3 platform’, the DoD announced on 22 October.
The SSHF upgrade forms part of a broader process. Shephard Defence Insight notes that the four-aircraft E-4B fleet is going through an upgrade and maintenance process. The works include avionics, wiring, communication equipment and other components to ensure the platform remains in service beyond 2025.
Developed by Boeing and based on the B-747-200 commercial aircraft, the E-4B is a special mission aircraft used as the US National Airborne Operations Centre and is a key component of the National Military Command System for the President, Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In case of national emergency or destruction of ground C2 centres, it provides a survivable C3 centre to direct US forces, execute emergency war orders and coordinate actions by civil authorities.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s]()
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
![Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch]()
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
-
![BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme]()
BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
-
![Just Released: Space Technology Report]()
Just Released: Space Technology Report
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
-
![Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality]()
Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
