US Strategic Command Aircraft Modernization
US Air Force imagwiritsa ntchito ndege zinayi za Boeing E-4B Nightwatch zomwe zimagwira ntchito ngati US Government Air Traffic Control Center (NEACP).
Onse a Air Force ndi US Navy ali ndi mapulogalamu osinthira ndege zamakono kumalo olamulira nyukiliya. Gulu lankhondo la US Air Force lakonza zosintha ndege zake zinayi za Boeing E-4B Nigthwatch ndi nsanja yofanana kukula ndi magwiridwe antchito. Asitikali apamadzi aku US, nawonso, akufuna kugwiritsa ntchito Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 yosinthidwa bwino, yomwe iyenera kulowa m'malo mwa ndege khumi ndi zisanu ndi chimodzi za Boeing E-6B Mercury mtsogolomo.
Zomwe tatchulazi ndi ndege zofunika kwambiri, zomwe zimalola kulankhulana pakawonongeka kapena kuchotsedwa kwa malo opangira zisankho ku US. Ayenera kulola akuluakulu aboma - pulezidenti kapena mamembala a boma la US (NCA - National Command Authority) kuti apulumuke - pankhondo yanyukiliya. Chifukwa cha nsanja zonse ziwirizi, akuluakulu aku US atha kupereka malamulo oyenerera amivi ya intercontinental ballistic yomwe ili m'migodi yapansi panthaka, oponya mabomba omwe ali ndi zida zanyukiliya komanso sitima zapamadzi zoponya mabomba.
Ntchito "Kupyolera mu Glass Yoyang'ana" ndi "Night Watch"
Mu February 1961, Strategic Air Command (SAC) inayambitsa Operation Through the Looking Glass. Cholinga chake chinali kusunga ndege za amphibious zomwe zimagwira ntchito yoyang'anira mphamvu za nyukiliya (ABNKP - Airborne Command Post). Ndege zisanu ndi imodzi za Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker zowonjezera mafuta zidasankhidwa kuti zichite izi, zotchedwa EC-135A. Poyamba, ankangogwira ntchito ngati mawayilesi owuluka. Komabe, kale mu 1964, 17 EC-135C ndege anaikidwa ntchito. Awa anali nsanja zapadera za ABNCP zokhala ndi ALCS (Airborne Launch Control System), yomwe imalola kuwulutsa kutali kwa zida zoponya zoponya kuchokera ku zoyambira pansi. M'zaka makumi angapo zotsatira za Cold War, lamulo la SAC linagwiritsa ntchito ndege zingapo za ABNCP kuti zipange Opaleshoni Kupyolera mu Glass Yoyang'ana, monga EC-135P, EC-135G, EC-135H ndi EC-135L.
Pakati pa zaka za m'ma 60, Pentagon inayambitsa ntchito yofanana yotchedwa Night Watch. Cholinga chake chinali kukhalabe okonzeka kumenya ndege zomwe zimagwira ntchito ngati malo owongolera magalimoto a Purezidenti ndi nthambi yayikulu ya dzikolo (NEACP - National Emergency Airborne Command Post). Pakagwa mavuto aliwonse, udindo wawo unalinso kuchotsa pulezidenti ndi mamembala a boma la US. Ma tanker atatu a KC-135B osinthidwa malinga ndi muyezo wa EC-135J adasankhidwa kuti agwire ntchito za NEACP. Kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m'ma 70, pulogalamu inakhazikitsidwa kuti ilowe m'malo mwa ndege ya EC-135J ndi nsanja yatsopano. Mu February 1973, Boeing adalandira mgwirizano wopereka ndege ziwiri zosinthidwa za Boeing 747-200B, zotchedwa E-4A. Ma E-Systems adalandira dongosolo la zida zama ndege ndi zolumikizirana. Mu 1973, US Air Force idagula ma B747-200B ena awiri. Chachinayi chinali ndi zida zamakono, kuphatikizapo. satellite communication antenna ya MILSTAR system motero adalandira dzina la E-4B. Pomaliza, pofika Januware 1985, ma E-4A onse atatu adasinthidwanso chimodzimodzi ndikusankhidwa E-4B. Kusankhidwa kwa B747-200B monga nsanja ya Night Watch inalola kukhazikitsidwa kwa boma ndi malo olamulira omwe ali ndi ufulu wambiri wodzilamulira. E-4B ikhoza kukwera, kuwonjezera pa ogwira ntchito, anthu pafupifupi 60. Pakagwa mwadzidzidzi, anthu opitilira 150 atha kukhala m'bwato. Chifukwa chotha kutenga mafuta mumlengalenga, nthawi yothawa ya E-4B imangokhala ndikugwiritsa ntchito zinthu zomwe zimagwiritsidwa ntchito. Amatha kukhala mlengalenga popanda kusokonezedwa kwa masiku angapo.
Kumayambiriro kwa chaka cha 2006, panali ndondomeko yothetsa ma E-4B onse kuti ayambe mkati mwa zaka zitatu. Pofufuza theka la ndalamazo, Air Force inanenanso kuti chitsanzo chimodzi chokha chikhoza kuchotsedwa. Mu 2007, mapulaniwa adasiyidwa ndipo kusinthika kwapang'onopang'ono kwa zombo za E-4B kudayamba. Malinga ndi US Air Force, ndegezi sizitha kuyendetsedwa bwino kuposa 2038.
E-4B ikuwonjezeredwa mafuta ndi ndege ya Boeing KC-46A Pegasus. Mutha kuwona bwino kusiyana kwakukulu mu kukula kwa zomanga zonse ziwiri.
Mission TAKAMO
Kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m'ma 60, gulu lankhondo la US Navy linayambitsa pulogalamu yoyambitsa njira yolankhulirana ndi sitima zapamadzi zotchedwa TACAMO (Take Charge and Move Out). Mu 1962, mayesero anayamba ndi KC-130F Hercules refueling ndege. Ili ndi ma frequency otsika kwambiri (VLF) ma radio frequency transmitter ndi chingwe cha mlongoti chomwe chimamasuka pakuthawa ndikutha molemera ngati koni. Kenako zidatsimikizidwa kuti kuti apeze mphamvu zokwanira komanso njira yotumizira, chingwecho chikuyenera kukhala chotalika mpaka 8 km ndikukokedwa ndi ndege pafupifupi yoyima. Komano, ndegeyo iyenera kuyenda mozungulira mozungulira. Mu 1966, ma Hercules C-130G anayi adasinthidwa ku ntchito ya TACAMO ndikusankha EC-130G. Komabe, iyi inali yankho kwakanthawi. Mu 1969, ma 12 EC-130Q a ntchito ya TACAMO adayamba kulowa. Ma EC-130G anayi asinthidwanso kuti akwaniritse muyezo wa EC-130Q.
