After completing this test series, the aircraft will proceed to the conversion centre for fitting according to the future operator’s requirements. Currently, four Boeing 747-8i aircraft are located at Sierra Nevada’s facility in Dayton, Ohio.
All four airframes were purchased from Korean Air and will be rebuilt for their new role, with five of the type already acquired from the South Korean airline. The contract allows for up to eight aircraft to be included in the E-4C SAOC programme.
In its first stage, Sierra Nevada Corporation will convert two aircraft under a long-term agreement worth 13.1 billion USD, signed with the US Department of Defense on 26 April 2024. Deliveries are scheduled to be completed by July 2036.
The E-4C SAOC (Survivable Airborne Operations Center) is intended to replace the four E-4B Nightwatch aircraft based on the Boeing 747-200. These aircraft are used to transport the US Secretary of Defense and serve as airborne command centres for the President in the event of a crisis.
