Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC)

Mission — Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) source

The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), E-4C, replaces 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 provides 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 fulfills 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, pre-operational product support, and Interim Contractor Support (ICS). Funds also support program office operations, management services (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers [FFRDC], Advisory and Assistance Services [A&AS], etc.), Program Management Administration (PMA), security, facilities, prototyping, equipment, implementation of digital program initiatives, 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 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F. In FY 2024, $1.540M expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element. In FY 2025, $4.000M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY2026, $5.49M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. SAOC program transitioning from BA04 to BA05, System Development and Demonstration (SDD), in FY26. 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.

Mission — Survivable Airborne Operations Center source

The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), E-4C, replaces 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 provides 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 fulfills 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, pre-operational product support, and Interim Contractor Support (ICS). Funds also support program office operations, management services (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers [FFRDC], Advisory and Assistance Services [A&AS], etc.), Program Management Administration (PMA), security, facilities, prototyping, equipment, implementation of digital program initiatives, 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 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, or 0605898F. In FY 2024, $1.540M expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element. In FY 2024, $4.000M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. The FY 2026 request for SAOC includes $1,826,328 thousand of discretionary and $6,800 thousand of mandatory (reconciliation) for a total of $1,833,128 thousand. The mandatory funds address EMD in FY 2026. Further information for this reconciliation request is provided in Chapter 8 (Nuclear) of the Reconciliation Exhibit. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)