Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) said that its win last month for the U.S. Air Force’s Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) will help “expand” the defense industrial base beyond top-tier original equipment manufacturers like Boeing [BA], Lockheed Martin [LMT], and Northrop Grumman [NOC].
The Air Force awarded SNC an up to $13 billion contract for the service’s SAOC to replace the Boeing E-4B “Nighwatch” fleet, based on the 747 passenger plane and used as a mobile national command authority in crisis situations, such as “doomsday” events (Defense Daily, Apr. 26).
SNC’s SAOC team includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, RTX‘s [RTX] Collins Aerospace, GE Aerospace [GE], Rolls Royce, FlightSafety International‘s FSI Defense, and Safran‘s Greenpoint Technologies Inc.
While a significant award for SNC, the latter was the only one that remained in the SAOC fray, as Boeing was unable to meet Air Force requirements.
The Air Force choice of SNC for SAOC “marks one of the largest aircraft modernization contracts awarded to a company other than the OEM and indicates a new acquisition approach that prioritizes open systems, which fosters innovation, speed and cost competitiveness,” SNC said on May 22. “SNC has championed this change as one of the only private mid-tier A&D prime contractors. Throughout its 60-year history, the company has continually worked to expand the industrial base, break and deliver truly open architecture solutions across domains.”
The company is to buy Korean Air 747-8Is and modify them for SAOC.
SNC has been a contractor for the Air Force’s BIG SAFARI special mission aircraft program.
Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio runs BIG SAFARI, begun in the 1950s, which aims to field special purpose aircraft, including drones and ISR planes, from existing designs. The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint is an example of a BIG SAFARI fielded aircraft.
“SNC’s roots are in special mission aircraft command and control (C2), such as with the PC-12 and MC130J Airborne Mission Networking programs, Beyond Line-of-Sight integration, B-2 Agile Communication Suite, podded solutions, SNC TRAX® software and Airlift/Tanker Open Mission Systems,” the company said. “SNC has successfully delivered open architecture C2 solutions on multiple large aircraft, including the C-17, KC-135, C-130J and KC-46. Its industry-leading systems respond to changing needs at the speed-of-threat and a digital-first approach rooted in model-based systems engineering (MBSE) allows SNC to modify and quickly return to service nearly any legacy system.” “MBSE allows SNC to integrate leading technologies and quickly return to service nearly any aircraft,” SNC said. “This approach allows the customer to leverage best-of-breed solutions and significantly reduce life cycle sustainment and modification schedule. Opening competition also encourages growth and innovation, expands the industrial base and helps re-establish the disappearing mid-tier.”