US ‘Doomsday Plane’ built to survive nuclear attack reaches Washington as Donald Trump weighs strike on Iran
As President Trump contemplates a strike on Iran's nuclear sites, the E-4B Nightwatch, a doomsday plane, flew to Joint Base Andrews. The aircraft ensures government continuity during a nuclear conflict, departing Louisiana and landing in Maryland after a lengthy flight path.
As US President Donald Trump considers a potential strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, one of the US' Doomsday Planes flew to Joint Base Andrews in Washington on Wednesday.
The E-4B Nightwatch, an aircraft specifically built to ensure the continuity of government and protect top defence officials during a nuclear conflict, was tracked in flight by aviation monitoring services.
According to data from FlightRadar, the plane departed from Bossier City, Louisiana, shortly before 6 p.m. and landed in Maryland around 10 p.m., following a lengthy and circuitous route that traced along the coastline and looped near the Virginia-North Carolina border, according to a report by the New York Post.
Why is E-4 B considered a ‘Doomsday plane’?
The E-4B, often referred to as the "Doomsday Plane," is a highly specialised aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force and serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC). The E-4B Nightwatch is known as a “Doomsday Plane” because it is designed to function as a mobile command centre for the US government during a nuclear war, large-scale conflict, or any catastrophic national emergency that disrupts regular command infrastructure.
All you need to know about E-4B Nightwatch
1. Based on the Boeing 747-200 airframe, the E-4B was introduced in the 1970s and later upgraded to its current form in the 1980s. It is designed to function as a mobile command post for the President, Secretary of Defense, and top military officials during national emergencies, particularly in scenarios where ground-based command centres are compromised, such as during a nuclear conflict.
2. The aircraft is equipped with advanced communication systems capable of linking with the full spectrum of U.S. nuclear forces—including submarines, bombers, and missile silos—and is specially hardened against electromagnetic pulses (EMP) from nuclear explosions.
3. The E-4B can stay airborne for extended periods, with the longest recorded flight lasting 35.4 hours, made possible by in-flight refuelling.
4. These aircraft are built to endure nuclear explosions, cyberattacks, and electromagnetic pulses, and they can launch retaliatory missile strikes if needed.
5. Outfitted with thermal and nuclear shielding, they are also equipped with a ray dome housing 67 satellite dishes and antennas, enabling global communication with any location on Earth. Designed for extended missions, they can stay airborne and fully operational for up to a week without landing, thanks to their ability to refuel mid-flight, according to a report by the New York Post.
When ‘Doomsday plane’ grounded?
The plane has been used in critical situations, including on September 11, 2001, when one was launched as a precautionary command platform. The E-4B also routinely accompanies the US President on international trips and participates in major military exercises such as Global Thunder.
There are currently four E-4Bs in service, all based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
Iran-Israel conflict
The deployment comes at a time when Trump has said of a potential strike on Iran's nuclear sites after Iran's supreme leader, Khameini, rejected the US President's call for “COMPLETE SURRENDER”.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rebuked Trump's earlier call for Iran to surrender in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. The Americans “should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” he said. “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's air campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said.
Trump in later remarks said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting and that "we may do that." But he added, "It's a little late" for such talks.
Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, some 40 of which have pierced air defences, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
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