Up to $2B to Maintain & Upgrade USA’s E-4B NAOC Fleet
Jun 07, 2011 17:37 EDT
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In December 2005, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a contract as Product Support Integrator (PSI) for the USAF’s E-4 National Airborne Operations Center fleet. These four 747-200 derivatives were introduced in 1974, and serve as complete flying command posts for national and military authorities. As one might imagine, they are hardened to resist the side-effects of nuclear attack, such as electro-magnetic pulse effects.
The 2005 contract was a 5-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract vehicle, with one 5-year option and a $2 billion cost cap. It continues a long history of support from Boeing:
The E-4B and Its Update Team
The E-4A debuted in late 1974, and the first E-4B conversion was delivered in 1980. By 1985, all E-4s were E-4Bs. As one might imagine, the E-4B has electromagnetic pulse protection, an electrical system designed to support advanced electronics, and communications equipment that’s as new as the requirements for hardened systems can offer. Other improvements include nuclear and thermal effects shielding, acoustic control, an improved technical control facility, and an upgraded air-conditioning system for cooling all those electrical components. An advanced satellite communications system improves worldwide communications.
The main deck is divided into 6 functional areas: a command work area, conference room, briefing room, an operations team work area, and communications and rest areas. An E-4B crew may include up to 112 people, including a joint-service operations team, an ACC flight crew, a maintenance and security component, a communications team and “selected augmentees.”
The USAF operates 4 of these 747-200 aircraft variants, assigned to the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, NE. One is kept on full alert at all times, and one remains relatively close to Air Force One so that the American President can access it quickly from anywhere in the world. As of 1994, the E-4 fleet will also ferry Federal Emergency Management Agency crews to natural disaster sites and serving as a temporary command post on the ground until facilities can be built on site. With E-4B support, the emergency team’s response is a matter of hours, as opposed to days.
USAF Air Combat Command (ACC) is the single-resource manager for the E-4B, and provides aircrew, maintenance, security and communications support. The Joint Chiefs of Staff actually control E-4B operations, and provide personnel for the airborne operations center.
Boeing leads a team that also includes L3 Communications, Rockwell Collins, and Greenpoint Technology Inc. Boeing remains the lead system integrator for the E-4 fleet, and tout a total-life cycle, systems engineering approach. The goal of the 2005 PSI contract is to provide increased readiness for the fleet, and integrate multiple contracts and activities into a single best-value contract.
Contracts & Key Events
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Sept 19/11: Boeing returns another E-4B to Offut AFB, NE after its programmed depot maintenance (PDM). Boeing’s E-4B program manager, Glenn Winkler, referred to “over and above” surprise issues uncovered during the maintenance, but the maintenance and modifications were completed, and the plane flew on to Offut AFB, NE after a new paint job by Boeing partner L-3 in Greenville, TX. Boeing.
June 7/11: Boeing announces an unspecified USAF award for the E-4B Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) upgrade, Phase 1. The CNS/ATM upgrade will bring the fleet in line with new Federal Aviation Administration requirements for flight in civilian and international airspace, and will also allow the E-4Bs to operate more efficiently at airports and in crowded airspace. Their solution will be derived from current Boeing 737 cockpits, and the 4 E-4Bs will be upgraded in 3 phases.
Phase 1 includes next-generation flight-management hardware and software, as well as a multimode receiver radio that combines several aircraft systems into a single component. Boeing Global Transport & Executive Systems (GTES) will incorporate the Phase 1 upgrades during the E-4Bs’ regularly scheduled maintenance cycle at Boeing’s Wichita, KS facility. The initial E-4B CNS/ATM Phase 1 aircraft is expected to enter flight test in Q4 2012.
Aug 20/10: A USAF Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board rules that a May 12/10 accident at Offut AFB, NE was caused by pilot error. The E-4B’s tail hit the runway between 2-3 feet right past the centerline, causing about $3.1 million worth of damage. The aircraft was quickly brought to a stop, with no injuries or further property damage.
According to the report, the board ruled that major factors included misperception of the operational conditions in altitude, glide path and descent rate on the aircraft’s short final; breakdown in visual scan during a night landing; overcontrolling the input to the yoke of the aircraft; and procedural error recovery technique that resulted in too much pitch. USAF.
Sept 21/07: Boeing announces the delivery of a refurbished E-4B National Airborne Operations Center to the U.S. Air Force Strategic Command after completing programmed depot maintenance (PDM) at its modification center in Wichita, KS.
Dec 21/05: Boeing announces the E-4B contract. Boeing has supported the E-4 fleet of 4 modified Boeing 747 aircraft for 25 years, offering contractor logistics support, engineering services and technical order support. See corporate release.
