Boeing Disqualified from US Air Force's 'Doomsday Plane' Contest

Boeing has been eliminated from the U.S. Air Force's competition to develop a successor to the E-4B Nightwatch, also known as the "Doomsday Plane." The move leaves Sierra Nevada Corp as the sole company publicly vying for the contract. Boeing and the Air Force were unable to reach an agreement on data rights and contract terms, with Boeing refusing to sign onto any fixed-price agreement. The Air Force plans to award the contract in 2024 and spend $8.3 billion on the program through fiscal 2028. The E-4B is a mobile command post designed to withstand nuclear blasts and electromagnetic effects.