The E-4B offers a highly resilient command, control, and communications center to guide American forces in the event of a national emergency or the loss of ground command and control facilities
The fascinating photos in this post were taken on February 20, 2017, and they depict a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) getting ready to refuel an E-4B from the United States Air Force (USAF) that is carrying the secretary of defense of the United States.
For the President of the United States (POTUS), the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the E-4B performs the function of the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) and is an essential part of the National Military Command System (JCS). The aircraft offers a highly resilient command, control, and communications center to lead American forces, carry out emergency war orders, and coordinate operations by civil authorities in the event of a national emergency or the loss of terrestrial command and control facilities. All stages of the threat spectrum are covered by E-4B activities. In order to provide Title 10 command and control communication, the E-4B also offers SECDEF and its staff travel support outside of the continental United States.
The E-4B is a four-engine, swept-wing, long-range, high-altitude aircraft with the ability to refuel while in the air. It is a military variant of the Boeing 747-200. Six functional sections make up the main deck: a command work area, conference room, briefing room, work area for the operations crew, communications area, and rest area. A joint-service operations team, an Air Force flight crew, maintenance and security component, a communications team, and certain augmentees may all be seated in an E-4B.
The E-4B is equipped with an electrical system that can accommodate sophisticated electronics and a range of communications tools, and it is shielded from the effects of electromagnetic pulses. Senior executives can communicate globally via the airborne operations center thanks to innovative satellite communications technology. A better technical control facility, acoustic control, nuclear and thermal effects shielding, and an upgraded air-conditioning system for cooling electrical components are other upgrades.
At least one E-4B NAOC is constantly on 24-hour alert, seven days a week, with a global watch crew at one of many carefully chosen bases throughout the world to directly support the POTUS, the SECDEF, and the JCS.
The E-4B supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which offers communications and command center capabilities to relief efforts after natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, in addition to its national and nuclear command and control (NC2) function.
Story by Staff Sgt. Micaiah Anthony, 100th Air Refueling Wing; Photo by Staff Sgt. Micaiah Anthony / U.S. Air Force
