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Rolls-Royce is building unbelievable $13 billion 'doomsday' plane with unusual feature

Rolls-Royce is building unbelievable $13 billion 'doomsday' plane with unusual feature

Rolls-Royce is working on the planes with the Sierra Nevada Corporation

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Want to survive the end of the world in style? What better place to do it than in a Rolls-Royce airplane?

If it sounds like an invention of the future, that's because it is.

The project is one that's just getting underway, and comes after Rolls-Royce successfully managed to secure a contract with the US Air Force to build what has been described as a 'Doomsday plane'.

The planes must be able to protect those on board. (C. v. Grinsven/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The planes must be able to protect those on board. (C. v. Grinsven/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Now I know that doesn't sound like the kind of plane you'd want to board, but I promise - it does have good intentions.

As part of the Air Force's Survivable Airborne Operations Center project (SAOC), the plane is set to be used as a successor to the Air Force's current E-4B planes, which are militarized versions of the Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet.

The existing planes are normally used to transport the Secretary of Defence, though they can also be used to function as a mobile command centre in the event of a national emergency.

Each of the four planes that are currently in service can seat up to 111 people and are designed to carry important figures including the US president, the secretary of defence and the joint military chiefs in an emergency.

With so many important people on board, the plane must have certain features that you probably wouldn't find on a regular plane.

The new projects aims to replace the existing planes. (US Air Force)
The new projects aims to replace the existing planes. (US Air Force)

It must be able to survive a nuclear blast, and it can be refuelled mid-air to avoid unnecessary stops in potentially dangerous locations.

Rolls-Royce's involvement comes after the Pentagon awarded a $13 billion contract to develop the new generation of the planes to defence giant Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Rolls is thought to have been brought on to help work on the plane’s propulsion systems.

Adam Riddle, president of defence at Rolls-Royce, expressed the company's excitement to be involved in the project as he said: “For decades, Rolls-Royce has powered military operations around the world with reliable, cutting-edge technologies – safely transporting service members on their missions.

“Now, we are proud to pair our proven pedigree with the collective expertise of Sierra Nevada Corporation and the rest of the SAOC team to ensure our military leaders have the platform to protect our national security when it matters most.”

Jon Piatt, an executive vice president at Sierra Nevada, added: “Sierra Nevada Corporation is very excited to collaborate with Rolls-Royce, putting its vast experience to work on this crucial Air Force mission.

“We are certain that Rolls-Royce will prove a valuable partner in maintaining a strategic edge to protect the country when it matters most.”

The contract for the new project is expected to run up to July 2036.

Featured Image Credit: US Air Force / Museum of Flight/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Topics: US News, Technology

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.