The Air Force has awarded a contract worth up to $2 billion to Boeing to serve as the product integrator for work on the service’s fleet of four E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft. Boeing has provided logistics support, engineering services, and technical order support for the E-4B, which is a modified Boeing 747, for 25 years, say company officials. Boeing will work with L3 Communications, Rockwell Collins, and Greenpoint Technology to bring multiple contracts under a “single contracting vehicle” to reduce cost.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.