Korean Air Retires Five Boeing 747 Passenger Planes to Sierra Nevada for New “Doomsday” Planes

In a significant development, five Boeing 747 passenger jets previously operated by Korean Air have been acquired by Sierra Nevada Corporation, the company tasked with creating replacements for the existing US Air Force fleet of strategic command and control military aircraft, better known as “Doomsday” planes. These aircraft, called E-4B “Nightwatch,” are designed to serve as command centers in case command facilities located on land become destroyed or compromised during times of national emergencies, particularly nuclear war. They are capable of carrying crucial personnel, including the US President, Secretary of Defense, and Joint Chiefs members, amongst others, who can then take charge of controlling US forces around the globe from the airplane itself. According to data from the US Air Force, these E-4B planes are designed to endure the effects of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a sudden surge of energy emitted by a nuclear blast that can disrupt and permanently harm electrical components and entire systems across most critical infrastructure categories, causing widespread infrastructure issues. The Air Force maintains that at least one such plane is constantly kept on standby at an undisclosed location around the world. On Friday, a representative for Sierra Nevada confirmed the acquisition of the Korean Air planes, though declined to offer additional details. It should be noted that on April 26, the US Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada a $13bn contract for the production and development of the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, which is the official name given to the new Doomsday aircraft under construction. Construction of a second hangar of comparable dimensions to the initial one is currently underway at Dayton International Airport in Ohio. An artist’s rendition of the Dayton site depicted a 747-800 inside. The 747-800s would replace the current Doomsday planes’ outdated and smaller 747-200 models, which were commissioned in the 1980s. Earlier this week, Korean Air disclosed that it plans to sell the five aircraft to Sierra Nevada as part of a broader strategy for introducing newer planes into its fleet. The sale is expected to be concluded by September 30, 2025, according to Korean Air’s announcement. As of October 2023, Korean Air possessed nine 747-800 passenger planes, as stated on their website.