&w=3840&q=100)
What is the secretive 'doomsday plane' spotted amid West Asia tensions?
Unusual flight path raises eyebrows
The E-4B, which is built to safeguard the US Secretary of Defence and other senior national security personnel during nuclear conflict, was spotted on its route by flight trackers, according to a report by The New York Post. The plane departed from Bossier City, Louisiana, shortly before 6 pm (local time), and reached Maryland at 10 pm, after taking a lengthy and indirect path skirting the East Coast and circling near the borders of Virginia and North Carolina, according to data from FlightRadar.
What is the 'doomsday plane'?
The E-4B Nightwatch is a specially modified aircraft that acts as an airborne command post for the US President, Secretary of Defense, and top military leaders, allowing for critical communication and control in emergencies, including during nuclear attacks.
Each E-4B is capable of housing up to 112 personnel and can travel over 7,000 miles. The aircraft is equipped with protection against nuclear explosions, cyber warfare, and electromagnetic interference, and has systems in place to launch retaliatory strikes if necessary. With 67 satellite dishes and antennas on board, the aircraft can maintain contact with any part of the world. Designed to operate continuously for up to a week without landing, it can refuel mid-air.
Former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used the E-4B as his main form of travel during George W Bush's presidency.
Top specs of E-4B 'Nightwatch'
* Primary function: Airborne operations center
* Aircraft manufacturer: Boeing Aerospace Co
* Power: Four General Electric CF6-50E2 turbofan engines
* Thrust: 52,500 pounds each engine
* Length: 231 feet, 4 inches (70.5 meters)
* Maximum takeoff weight: 360,000 kg
* Endurance: 12 hours (unrefuelled)
* Date of deployment: January 1980
[Data as of June 2024]
E-4B Nightwatch: The flying Pentagon
The E-4B features three decks containing 18 sleeping bunks, a briefing room, teamwork area, conference room, command centre, and dedicated rest facilities, effectively transforming it into a 'flying Pentagon' capable of running government operations in times of national emergency.
The US Air Force is currently in the process of replacing its E-4B fleet with newer models to continue its airborne command mission.
Israel-Iran conflict: What's happening?
The conflict has intensified as Israeli forces have carried out strikes on several Iranian nuclear and defence facilities, reportedly killing senior generals and nuclear scientists. A US-based human rights group reported 639 deaths in Iran, including 263 civilians, with over 1,300 wounded.
In retaliation, Iran has launched approximately 400 missiles and multiple drones, resulting in at least 24 deaths in Israel and hundreds of injuries. (With inputs from multiple agencies)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Op Sindoor a sign India no longer bound by traditional borders: Rajnath
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said Operation Sindoor was a balanced military response that signalled India is no longer bound by traditional boundaries, but is using modern technology, accurate intelligence and smart military strategies to target terrorism. The success of Operation Sindoor will be celebrated at the Independence Day function at Red Fort on Friday. (PTI) 'It was a clear message from India that we are tolerant, but when it comes to the safety of our people and the dignity of our country, we unite and face every challenge boldly. Operation Sindoor is a part of India's new policy, a clear message that no matter how deep the roots of terrorism are, its complete destruction will be ensured,' Singh said in a message to soldiers on the eve of the country's 79th Independence Day. The success of Operation Sindoor will be celebrated at the Independence Day function at Red Fort on Friday, three months after Indian forces hit terror and military targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. A Mi-17 helicopter will fly a flag depicting Operation Sindoor, the invitation cards carry the operation's distinct logo, the view cutter at Gyanpath will also showcase the logo, and the floral decoration will be based on the operation. Operation Sindoor will continue until the goal of complete destruction of terrorism is achieved, Singh said, on a day the government announced gallantry awards for soldiers who took part in the operation. Singh described India's actions during the operation as 'a shining example of a precise and successful military strategy, and a glimpse of a new vision, technological advancements and self-reliance.' India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror strike. Between the launch of the operation in the early hours of May 7 and the ceasefire on May 10 evening, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, killing at least 100 terrorists, and the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations. India, Singh said, successfully utilised cutting-edge apparatus such as drones, layered air defence, electronic warfare and network-centric operations, and proved that it is no longer dependent on foreign technology. The operation has taken India's military self-reliance to a greater height, he said. Talking about the balanced strategy of Operation Sindoor, Singh said within a few minutes (on May 7), nine terror training camps, including the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, were destroyed by precise missile attacks, and no civilian areas and Pakistani military establishments were targeted. The Indian armed forces, he said, neither crossed the Line of Control nor violated the international border, yet managed to deliver a crushing blow to the terror infrastructure hidden inside the enemy's territory. Singh added that with Operation Sindoor, the armed forces not only avenged the barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam, but also the strikes on Parliament House, in Mumbai and on Amarnath pilgrims in the past.
NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
US Approves Possible $346 Million Arms Sale To Nigeria To Improve Security
Abuja: The US State Department approved a possible $346 million weapons sale to Nigeria to help improve security in the sub-Saharan country, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Congress was notified and would need to approve the sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. The agency is a division of the Department of Defense that provides technical assistance and oversees transfers of defense equipment. The weapons requested by Nigeria include munitions, bombs, and rockets. A resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram, Nigeria's homegrown jihadist group, has shaken Nigeria's northeast. The group took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose its radical version of Islamic law. In recent months, Islamic extremists have repeatedly overrun military outposts, mined roads with bombs, and raided civilian communities, raising fears of a possible return to the peak insecurity of the Boko Haram era despite the military's claims of success against them. The conflict, which has spread into Nigeria's northern neighbors, has claimed about 35,000 civilian lives and displaced more than 2 million people in the country's northeastern region, according to the UN. Apart from the insurgency in the northeast, Africa's most populous country also faces serious security challenges in the north-central and northwest regions, where hundreds have been killed and injured in recent months. 'The proposed sale will improve Nigeria's capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organizations and to counter illicit trafficking in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea,' the Pentagon said Wednesday. 'There will be no adverse impact on US defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.' In the past 10 years, Nigeria has bought military equipment from the US on several occasions. Most recently, the US approved a $997-million weapons sale in 2022.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Trump mobilises full National Guard contingent to Washington; 800 troops now in capital
The deployment will continue until Trump determines that order has been restored. Unlike in most states, Washington's National Guard operates under direct presidential authority, removing the need for formal federalisation National Guard troops reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington. File image/AP President Donald Trump has ordered the complete mobilisation of 800 National Guard troops to Washington, DC, as part of what he describes as a drive to restore 'law and order' in the US capital. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday (August 14) that all Army and Air National Guardsmen assigned to Joint Task Force DC are now operational. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the troops will support the Metropolitan Police Department and federal agencies by securing monuments, patrolling communities, protecting federal facilities and managing traffic control points. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The deployment will continue until Trump determines that order has been restored. Unlike in most states, Washington's National Guard operates under direct presidential authority, removing the need for formal federalisation. Political context and crime statistics Trump's decision also includes a federal takeover of Washington's police department, part of a broader Republican narrative that the Democratic-led city is plagued by crime and mismanagement. Official data from Washington police, however, shows violent crime has declined in 2024 compared with last year, following a spike in the immediate post-pandemic period. The deployment follows Trump's recent use of National Guard and Marine units in Los Angeles to quell unrest triggered by immigration enforcement raids, marking the first time since 1965 that a president has sent the Guard into a state over a governor's objections.
