Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC)
Abstract
The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) will replace the aging E-4B fleet, which faces capability gaps, diminishing manufacturing sources, increased maintenance costs, and parts obsolescence as it approaches the end of its serviceable life. SAOC will provide the President of the United States (POTUS), the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) a worldwide, survivable, and enduring node of the National Military Command System (NMCS) to fulfill national security requirements throughout all stages of conflict. As a command, control and communications center directing US forces, executing emergency war orders and coordinating the activities of civil authorities including national contingency plans, this capability ensures continuity of operations and continuity of government as required in a national emergency or after negation/destruction of ground command and control centers. SAOC will fulfill the requirements of the AF Nuclear Mission by providing Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) capabilities to enable the exercise of authority and direction by the President to command-and-control US military nuclear weapons operations. Program funding supports all activities required to execute development of the SAOC Weapon System to include system development, integration of NC3 and other DoD/AF programs into the SAOC weapon system, test activities, and product support. Funds also support program office operations, management services (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers [FFRDC], Advisory and Assistance Services [A&AS], etc.), Program Management Support (PMS), security, facilities, prototyping, equipment, and to integrate Digital Engineering and other required program office capabilities. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY23, $1.142M will be expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY24, $4.368M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 646507_0604288F_4_3600_PB_2025
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