The Air Force is celebrating this month the 35th anniversary of the first E-4 National Airborne Operations Center aircraft going on alert. Today the Air Force operates four E-4Bs that are assigned to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Neb. These aircraft, a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200, support the President, Defense Secretary, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When first fielded, the A model E-4 was known as the National Emergency Airborne Command platform and its purpose was to provide the President with a safe location to conduct wartime operations in the event of a nuclear attack. Since the end of the Cold War, the E-4 has remained on alert status, but its mission has expanded to support the national leadership’s command, control and communications requirements in any type of threat scenario and non-war crises like natural disasters. (Offutt report by Ryan Hansen)
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.