'Doomsday plane': US aerospace firm Sierra Nevada buys 5 Korean Air jets

NEW DELHI: Korean Air has announced the sale of five of its aircraft to Sierra Nevada Corporation, a US aerospace company, in an exchange filing on Wednesday. Sierra Nevada recently won a $13 billion contract from the US Air Force to develop a new aircraft that will replace the aging E-4B Nightwatch.
The E-4B, often referred to as the "Doomsday plane," is renowned for its unique capability to withstand a nuclear war and serve as a mobile command and control center during crisis situations.
According to Reuters citing a source with knowledge of the transaction, the aircraft being acquired by Sierra Nevada are four Boeing 747-8s, which are powered by four engines.
These planes will be purchased from Korean Air, marking a significant step in the modernisation of the US Air Force's fleet. The current E-4 fleet, which has been in service since the 1970s, are modified Boeing 747-200s.
The Korean Air filing said, the sale, valued at 918 billion Korean won ($674 million), aligns with the airline's medium to long-term strategy to dispose of older aircraft and replace them with newer generation models.
As per a Defense News report, the E-4B aircraft, which currently serves as the National Airborne Operations Center, is designed to enable the President and other national leaders to manage military operations during a nuclear war or other catastrophic scenarios when ground command centers might be incapacitated.
Under the terms of the new contract, Sierra Nevada will be responsible for the delivery of both engineering and manufacturing development aircraft and production aircraft, along with associated ground systems and interim contract support before the deadline of July 10, 2036. The initial funding release for the project includes $59 million dedicated to research, development, test, and evaluation to kickstart the SAOC development.
An Air Force spokesperson said, “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.”
Korean Air will complete the delivery of the planes by September 2025, the filing added.
(With inputs from agencies)