Boeing returns E-4B to USAF service
The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States' four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.
A Boeing field team at Offutt Air Force Base now will support final modifications to return the aircraft to operational status. The aircraft was delivered from Boeing's E-4B partner L-3 in Greenville, Texas, where it received new paint, following maintenance and some minor modifications performed at Boeing's Global Services & Support facility in Wichita.
"This was an extremely challenging PDM because of the over-and-above issues that we uncovered on this aging aircraft," said Glenn Winkler, Boeing program manager for the E-4B. "It is very important that we perform well because there are only four of these jets in the fleet, so getting it back into service as quickly as possible is very important to our customer."
The E-4B is a modified 747-200 designed to be used by the National Command Authority as a survivable command center for control of US forces in all levels of conflict. The E-4B has been on alert for the US Air Force for more than 35 years.
Boeing's Global Transport and Executive Systems organization is the prime systems integrator for the fleet of four E-4Bs.
Source: Boeing
More from Digital Battlespace
-
Northrop Grumman achieves design milestone for US Pacific missile tracking
The company's Relay Ground Station-Asia for the US Naval Information Warfare Center, to be stationed in Guam, has passed its preliminary design review.
-
L3Harris contracted for mobility research to inform autonomous systems development
L3Harris has been contracted by the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity to carry out human mobility modelling and simulation to support development of future autonomous systems.
-
US Marine Corps enhances tactical comms with L3Harris radio contracts
The US Marine Corps is acquiring further L3Harris Falcon IV tactical radios under two new contracts.