"Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it."— Isaiah 13:9 It is, the sum of all fears. Doomsday. The end of the world, as we know it.Not a pretty thought.But it remains a reality for the US government — and for the occasion should it arise, it has the Doomsday plane.It was revealed this week, that Sierra Nevada Corporation has been awarded a contract worth more than US $13 billion to build the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC.) It will replace the existing U.S. Air Force E-4B Nightwatch — also known as the “Doomsday” plane. The award to Sierra Nevada was already expected after Boeing confirmed it was no longer competing for the SAOC contract in December 2023, The Aviationist reported. Details however, are currently limited to the people and entities listed in the contract notice.This represents one of the largest contracts assigned to the company. In the past, it worked on the Air Force’s A-29 Super Tucano, M-28 Special Operations aircraft, C-130s and the Army’s Athena ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) program.According to an Air Force spokesperson, “to satisfy operational requirements, the weapon system will be comprised of a Commercial Derivative Aircraft that will be hardened and modified to meet military requirements,” the report said.The spokesman added that the aircraft will be developed using a modular open systems approach, and that accompanying ground support systems will be set up “to enable the operations, sustainment, and future modifications of the SAOC weapon system across its lifecycle.”“The development of this critical national security weapon system ensures the Department’s Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications capability is operationally relevant and secure for decades to come,” the spokesperson said.Similarly to the E-4B, the new SAOC will be a specialized variant of a commercial derivative aircraft, which the company has reportedly chosen but not announced yet, The Aviationist reported. One of the possible options could be the Boeing 747-8 as, according to some reports, the requirements ask for a four-engine aircraft. The only problem is that the Boeing 747 production ended last year, so the Air Force will have to acquire used aircraft if it ends up being the chosen aircraft, the report said.The existing Doomsday Plane is a modified B747-200 that serves as National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) providing a flying command, control and communications centre to direct nuclear (and conventional) forces by receiving, verifying and relaying EAM (Emergency Action Messages.) Four E-4B are in service with the U.S. Air Force and operated by the Air Force Global Strike Command out of Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, The Aviationist reported. One aircraft is usually airborne every 12 hours, with another one ready for departure with a 5-minute notice.The E-4B is specifically designed to keep American decision makers alive in an emergency..Therefore, it has to be able to fly through any EMP (electromagnetic pulse) with unharmed systems, the report said. That’s why this highly-modified Boeing 747 does not feature a modern glass cockpit but old fashioned, analogue-style avionics that are more resilient to EMPs.The E-4B is protected against the effects of electromagnetic pulse and has an electrical system designed to support advanced electronics and a wide variety of communications equipment, the report said.An advanced satellite communications system provides worldwide communication for senior leaders through the airborne operations centre.Other improvements include nuclear and thermal effects shielding, acoustic control, an improved technical control facility and an upgraded air-conditioning system for cooling electrical components.According to the U.S. Air Force fact sheet, the Nightwatch aircraft’s main deck is divided into six functional areas: a command work area, conference room, briefing room, an operations team work area, communications area and rest area, the report said.It may include seating for up to 112 people, including a joint-service operations team, air force flight crew, maintenance and security component, communications team and selected augmentees.Strict access control measures are implemented to ensure that only authorized personnel can board the aircraft. Thorough background checks, security clearances, and rigorous screening procedures are conducted to maintain the integrity and secrecy of its operations.The number of aircraft to be delivered is not known, however some reports say the Air Force plans to buy 8-10 aircraft for the SAOC fleet.The Doomsday Plane played a significant role during the 9/11 attacks. As the devastating events unfolded, the President and other key officials were taken to secure locations, including the Doomsday plane, to ensure their safety and the continuation of government operations. The aircraft served as a critical command centre, enabling communication and decision-making amidst the chaos and uncertainty..So, what will the President, the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff do as they buzz around on the Doomsday plane?Here comes the good stuff.Today, access to America’s arsenal of nuclear warheads, which has thousands of times the destructive force of the weapons that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is carried in a metal Zero Halliburton briefcase in a black leather “jacket” that weighs around 20 kilograms.Known unofficially as the nuclear “Football,” it is portable and hand-carried, and always near the president.According to The Smithsonian, the Football does not actually contain a big red button for launching a nuclear war.Its primary purpose is to confirm the president’s identity, and it allows him to communicate with the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon, which monitors worldwide nuclear threats and can order an instant response.The Football also provides the commander-in-chief with a menu of nuclear strike options — allowing him to decide, for example, whether to destroy all of America’s enemies in one fell swoop or to limit himself to obliterating only Moscow or Pyongyang or Beijing.President Jimmy Carter, who had qualified as a nuclear submarine commander, was aware that he would have only a few minutes to decide how to respond to a nuclear strike.He ordered that the war plans be drastically simplified.A former military aide to president Bill Clinton, Colonel Buzz Patterson, would later describe the resulting pared-down set of choices as akin to a “Denny’s breakfast menu.”“It’s like picking one out of Column A and two out of Column B,” he told the History Channel.A Denny's breakfast menu of Armageddon.Harsh reality for a world facing many real threats today.
