WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita State University students and employees are getting the chance to help protect the president and the country in case of a future national emergency. WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will be part of the team that designs an aircraft into a command center for the president, secretary of defense, and chairs of the joint chiefs of staff.
The U.S. Air Force wants a newer version of its current E-4B “Nightwatch” aircraft fleet, which entered service in 1974. The Air Force chose Sierra Nevada Company (SNC) to modernize and deliver a replacement for the fleet. The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) contract is a multi-billion-dollar award.
During a news conference in Wichita on Monday, SNC announced it has chosen NIAR as a partner in the project.
About SNC
SNC is a trusted global leader in aerospace and national security. Our innovative solutions enable connected protection through command, control and communications systems, as well as ISR, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum management, and other high capabilities for national security systems across all domains – sea, land, air, space and cyber. As a longstanding leader in defense technology, SNC is at the optimum intersection of commercial, defense and non-traditional contractors. We are one of the only privately owned mid-tier A&D contractors and we pride ourselves on our ability to invest early and often to ensure mission success on or ahead of schedule. It's part of our mission to always stay one step ahead; working on solutions today to solve the problems of tomorrow. Founded in 1963, SNC is owned by Chairwoman Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen.