Future 'Doomsday Plane' Fleet Could Include Used 747s

As Boeing winds down production of the iconic 747 jetliner later this year, a USAF official says the service could still use the platform to add to the E-4B fleet.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, May 04, 2022 at 01:47 PM ET

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The U.S. Air Force E-4B Nightwatches are highly modified military versions of Boeing’s 747-200. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force plans to replace its aging fleet of E-4B Nightwatch "Doomsday Planes" with the new Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) weapon system.
To meet the SAOC's requirement for a very large, four-engine platform, the Air Force is considering acquiring used commercial Boeing 747s, especially as new 747 production is ceasing.
Acquiring used aircraft is deemed a low-risk strategy, as engineers can extensively refit older airframes to military specifications, with current E-4B operations already seeing modernization like a new flight simulator.

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The U.S. Air Force is considering buying used Boeing 747s as part of its replacement plans for the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch, according to a report.

The E-4B, also known more ominously as the “Doomsday Plane,” is a modified four-engine military version of the Boeing 747-200 and has been described as a flying Pentagon war room. The Air Force maintains a fleet of four of the aircraft, which are officially called the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC). The aircraft are able to fly for weeks or longer with aerial refueling, and have been retrofitted to be survivable in the event of a nuclear strike.