Boeing recently completed maintenance on a U.S. Air Force E-4B advanced airborne command post earlier than planned, enabling the Air Force to quickly return the vital aircraft to operational service.

It was the first E-4B serviced at Boeing’s San Antonio site. Boeing also performs maintenance on Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, KC-135 aerial refueling tankers and on commercial aircraft at that site.

“The E-4B fleet is an essential element of our nation’s defense. Boeing’s ability to return this aircraft to service, ahead of schedule, benefits the men and women who serve on them as well as the citizens they protect,” said Joseph Stupic, Chief, E-4B Section, U.S. Air Force.

Based on the Boeing 747-200 commercial airplane, the E-4B’s primary role during a conflict is as an airborne command post under the direction of the president, secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Boeing built the E-4 fleet and, with the Air Force, has supported the aircraft since the program’s launch in 1974. The company is on contract to maintain the readiness of the aircraft’s systems, bringing each aircraft in for service every two years.

Boeing press release