By U.S. Senator Deb Fischer
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Last year, Time magazine published a sobering article describing the devastating impact of nuclear war. If an adversary attacked the United States with nuclear weapons, each strike would create a fireball as hot as the core of the sun.
Such an attack could target key military sites, including the locations where senior officials command and control our nuclear weapons. It could destroy much of our existing communications infrastructure, preventing the president from relaying decisions about how to respond to the attack.
In a case like this, the government would need a survivable, mobile headquarters for nuclear command and control operations. Enter America’s secret weapon: the “doomsday” planes.
The U.S. Air Force’s E-4B fleet of four high-capability aircraft has that nickname because it’s designed to survive nuclear war. One E-4B aircraft is on alert at all times, often traveling with the president or secretary of defense in case of emergency. All four are assigned to the 595th Command and Control Group, hosted by Nebraska’s own Offutt Air Force Base. Nebraska is proud to house this remarkable fleet.
The E4-B can withstand nuclear blasts and electromagnetic effects, as well as refuel mid-air. It features advanced communications equipment and serves as a base where senior U.S. leaders can command and control both nuclear and conventional forces. As Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Appropriations Committee this spring, it boasts “the most advanced capabilities that the nation has to offer.”
But there’s a problem. These pivotal aircraft, built in the 1970s, are aging out of service life. By the early 2030s, they’ll be out of date. In 2006, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tried to retire the E-4B because of its age with no capable replacement. His successor, Robert Gates, knew better. The nuclear threats our nation faced then—and certainly now—demanded an aircraft like the doomsday plane. Secretary Gates kept all four planes in the fleet.
In 2019, the Air Force began its Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program to replace the E-4B. The new aircraft, which will be equipped with highly sensitive, modern equipment, require new facilities: hangars, ramps, operations training facilities, supply storage, and a fire and rescue station. These are essential for properly operating and maintaining the aircraft when they are delivered.
President Biden’s annual budget request did not include any funding to begin planning and designing SAOC facilities. That’s why, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I secured critical funding to begin the process of constructing Offutt’s new SAOC facilities. Our Fiscal Year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act includes $110 million to plan and design the SAOC complex so Offutt can be ready for the arrival of new aircraft by 2032.
By investing in defense initiatives like SAOC, we prepare America to outlast any nuclear doomsday that could lie ahead. Not only that, but our investments signal to our adversaries that the United States can, and will always, fight back.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.