The “Flying Pentagon” recently appeared in Melbourne, Florida, and was photographed by a retired former “computer customer” friend of mine at Kennedy Space Center.

Although not a new concept, the modified Boeing 747, a little shorter than a football field in length and five stories tall, provides a greater capability to serve the military needs of this country in case of attack or calamity at the Pentagon. With its equipment and specially trained crew, it can take command of Pentagon functions. There are four of these craft on standby at strategic locations or in the air, providing on-going security for our nation.

Here are statistics provided by the Air Force:

The E-4B serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) for the National Command Authorities (NCA). In case of national emergency or destruction of ground command control centers, the aircraft provides a modern, highly survivable, command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders and coordinate actions by civil authorities.

In 1994, NEACP’s (National Emergency Airborne Command Post) name was changed to NAOC, and it took on a new responsibility: ferrying Federal Emergency Management Agency crews to natural disaster sites and serving as a temporary command post on the ground until facilities could be built on site.

General specifications:

Air Combat Command (ACC) is the Air Force single-resource manager for the E-4B, and provides aircrew, maintenance, security and communications support. The Joint Chiefs of Staff actually control E-4B operations and provide personnel for the airborne operations center. The E-4B, a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200, is a four-engine, swept-wing, long-range, high-altitude airplane capable of being refueled in flight. Its larger size provides approximately triple the floor space of the earlier EC-135 command post.

An E-4B crew may include up to 114 people, including a joint-service operations team, an ACC flight crew, a maintenance and security component, a communications team and selected augmentees.

The E-4B has electromagnetic pulse protection, an electrical system designed to support advanced electronics and a wide variety of new communications equipment. Other improvements include nuclear and thermal effects shielding, acoustic control, an improved technical control facility and an upgraded air-conditioning system for cooling electrical components. An advanced satellite communications system improves worldwide communications among strategic and tactical satellite systems and the airborne operations center.

To provide direct support to the National Command Authorities, at least one E-4B is always on alert at one of many selected bases throughout the world.

General Characteristics:

Primary Function: Airborne operations center
Builder: Boeing Aerospace Co.
Power Plant: Four General Electric CF6-50E2 turbofan engines
Thrust: 52,500 pounds each engine
Length: 231 feet, 4 inches (70.5 meters)
Wingspan: 195 feet, 8 inches (59.7 meters)
Height: 63 feet, 5 inches (19.3 meters)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 800,000 pounds (360,000 kilograms)
Endurance: 12 hours (unrefueled)
Ceiling: Above 30,000 feet (9,091 meters)
Unit Cost: $258 million
Crew: Up to 114
Date Deployed: January 1980
Inventory: Active force, 4; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0