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.