Boeing [BA] last week said it has been awarded a one-year option of the Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) E-4B prime system integrator upgrade contract from the Air Force.
It is the first of three one-year options extended off a five-year Product Support Integrator Contract that Boeing won in 2005, the company said. The upgrades are part of a Federal Aviation Administration requirement and will allow the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) to operate more efficiently at airports and in crowded airspace.
The E-4B is a commercial derivative aircraft from the 747-200 designed to be used by the U.S. Air Force National Command Authority as a survivable command post for control of U.S. forces in all levels of conflict. The aircraft also supports VIP travel as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while providing communications to relief efforts following natural disasters.
“The E-4B has a unique mission that requires it to operate in a variety of different situations,” said Glenn Winkler, Boeing E-4B program manager. “The CNS/ATM upgrade will give the E-4B crew the flexibility it needs to operate in all environments, whether at a commercial airport or on an overseas mission supporting this country’s senior military leaders.”
Boeing Global Transport & Executive Systems (GTES) will incorporate the phase-one upgrades during the E-4Bs’ regularly scheduled maintenance cycle at the Boeing Wichita facility, the company said. Phase one, which is in the $15.5 million range, includes next-generation flight-management hardware and software, as well as a multimode receiver radio that combines several aircraft systems into a single component, it added. The initial phase one aircraft is expected to enter flight test in the fourth quarter of 2012. The following phases will include additional design and will add capabilities to the CNS/ATM upgrade in the 2012 to 2015 timeframe.