The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States’ four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.

A Boeing field team at Offutt Air Force Base now will support final modifications to return the aircraft to operational status. The aircraft was delivered from Boeing’s E-4B partner L-3 in Greenville, Texas, where it received new paint, following maintenance and some minor modifications performed at Boeing’s Global Services & Support facility in Wichita.

“This was an extremely challenging PDM because of the over-and-above issues that we uncovered on this aging aircraft,” said Glenn Winkler, Boeing program manager for the E-4B. “It is very important that we perform well because there are only four of these jets in the fleet, so getting it back into service as quickly as possible is very important to our customer.”

The E-4B is a modified 747-200 designed to be used by the National Command Authority as a survivable command center for control of U.S. forces in all levels of conflict. The E-4B has been on alert for the U.S. Air Force for more than 35 years.

Boeing’s Global Transport and Executive Systems organization is the prime systems integrator for the fleet of four E-4Bs.

Boeing press release, Photo: Archive E-4B Marcel van Leeuwen Z.A.P.P.