One of the U.S. military’s most ominous aircrafts, the so-called “doomsday plane”, was airborne last night, fueling speculation as tensions in the Middle East continue to spiral.
The Boeing E-4B ‘Nightwatch’, a flying command center designed for use in the event of a national catastrophe or nuclear war, departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana at 5:56 p.m. ET and landed at Joint Base Andrews at 10:01 p.m. ET, following an unusual flight path, according to the New York Post.
The U.S. Air Force maintains four of these aircraft, which serve as airborne bunkers for the president and top military officials.
Built to survive nuclear blasts and electromagnetic pulses, the E-4B was notably deployed during 9/11 and is equipped to execute war orders and maintain communication if ground-based command systems are disabled.
According to the Air Force, the Nightwatch provides “a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities” in the event of large-scale emergencies.
While these planes do fly routine missions throughout the year, their movement often triggers anxiety, especially when global tensions are running high.
AIRPORT MUNICH, MUNICH, GERMANY – 2019/02/16: An United States US Air Force USAF Boeing E-4B bringing the American delegation back home after the Munich Security Conference. (Photo by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
This week’s flight comes as conflict escalates between Israel and Iran.
Since June 13, Israel has launched a series of strikes on Tehran, prompting missile retaliation from Iran, some of which reportedly pierced Israel’s Iron Dome defenses in Tel Aviv. So far, the U.S. has not engaged directly in the fighting.
However, President Donald Trump has continued to issue stark warnings on his Truth Social account. In a recent post, he declared: “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”
In a follow-up, Trump added: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there, we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
There has been no official confirmation linking the Nightwatch’s deployment to these developments, but given the aircraft’s role in worst-case scenarios, its sudden flight is drawing intense scrutiny.
