Originally Posted by
sandiego89
Thanks for linking that thread. Some great videos of the E-4 in there- don't get to see the inside of those much. I'm sure the equipment has been much upgraded over the years, but a very 1980's looking interior.
Imagine a KC-46 based airframe would be a good E-4 and E-6 replacement- with the hardening and miles of wiring and generator capabilities.
While I can't elaborate for what should be obvious reasons, the (classified) briefing on the new AF1 747s I received shortly before I retired suggested a lot of expensive changes that would be of questionable value for a presidential aircraft. That suggested to me that maybe the USAF was using the AF1 to develop (and pay for) 747 upgrades that would helpful for future E-4/E-6 or even airborne laser replacement. That was also true during the 767-2C/KC-46 development - lots of stuff that wasn't directly related to the air refueling mission, presumable to provide future capabilities unrelated to the AR mission.
That being said, if the USAF wants to buy any new 747s for future capability replacement, they better get on the stick. There are currently only a handful of 747-8F freighters still to be built, if significant orders don't materialize soon, Boeing will have to pull the plug on one 747.