5 Retired Korean Air Boeing 747s to Become ‘Doomsday’ Planes for US Military

In a major development, it has been revealed that five retired Boeing 747 passenger jets previously operated by South Korean flag carrier Korean Air will soon be transformed into the newest addition to the United States’ strategic command and control military aircraft, popularly known as “Doomsday” planes. The jets were acquired by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, which is responsible for replacing the existing fleet of the US Air Force’s strategic command and control military aircraft. These special planes, officially called E-4B “Nightwatch,” serve as command-and-control centers during a national crisis when ground-based facilities are destroyed or incapacitated due to emergencies like nuclear war. They can carry the US President, Secretary of Defense, and members of the Joint Chiefs, along with over 100 other personnel, who can control all US forces worldwide from the air. The planes are designed to withstand the effects of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a phenomenon caused by a nuclear explosion that can disrupt and permanently damage electrical components and entire systems within most critical infrastructure sectors and impact large-scale infrastructure, as per the US Department of Homeland Security. Currently, at least one Doomsday plane is kept on 24/7 alert at a US military base somewhere in the world, according to the Air Force. Last year, Sierra Nevada Corporation also opened a 100,000-square-foot aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul facility at Dayton International Airport in Ohio, and it has started constructing another hangar of similar size. The 747-800s, which will replace the outdated and smaller 747-200 airframes of the current Doomsday fleet, were previously used by Korean Air. The acquisition was confirmed by a Sierra Nevada Corporation spokesperson, although no specifics were disclosed. The US Air Force awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation a $13 billion contract in April to develop and manufacture the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, the official name for the new Doomsday planes, with the project set to be completed by 2036. Korean Air announced earlier this week that it would sell five of its aircraft to Sierra Nevada Corporation as part of a mid- to long-term introduction plan for new planes. The transaction is expected to be finalized by September 30, 2025. As of October 2023, Korean Air had nine Boeing 747-800 passenger jets in its fleet, according to its website.