Bettin’ on Armageddon: US Air Force to wager $2.2B on ‘doomsday plane’ gamble
The E-4B plane
The US Air Force is requesting $2.2 billion for fiscal year 2027 — a 23.2% increase over 2026 funding — to develop the new E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), designed to serve as a command post in the event of a nuclear conflict, Sputnik has learned after reviewing the agency’s budget documents.Designed to replace the aging E-4B fleet, the new E-4C will be hardened against nuclear blasts and electromagnetic pulses. This shielding enables the US president and senior military leaders to maintain command even after the destruction of ground-based command centers.
Sierra Nevada Corporation holds the development contract, with the core design phase lasting through 2031.The documents also reveal that the Pentagon intends to spend roughly $3 billion upgrading airbase infrastructure and more than $5.4 billion acquiring production-ready aircraft, with purchases scheduled to begin in 2029.
