Investigating claims that E-4B 'Doomsday plane' flight was connected to Israel-Iran conflict
On June 17, 2025, rumors circulated that the U.S. military's so-called "Doomsday Plane" (the E-4B "Nightwatch") had taken flight on a mission related to the Israel-Iran conflict.
A U.S. Air Force spokesperson told Snopes that the E-4B had flown a "pre-scheduled mission" within the United States on June 17 that was unrelated to events in the Middle East.
A global flight tracking website showed that an E-4B did fly from a base in Louisiana to one in Maryland on June 17, and from Maryland to Nebraska the next day.
As of this writing, there is no credible, publicly available evidence that the E-4B flew any mission related to the Israel-Iran conflict on or around that date.
On June 17, 2025, a claim (archived) circulated on X (archived) that the U.S. military's E-4B "Nightwatch" — referred to as the "Doomsday plane" — had taken flight, with users suggesting it was related to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
This post (archived) about the purported flight garnered more than 500,000 views as of this writing:
(X user @JimFergusonUK)
Snopes readers also searched our website for information about the so-called "Doomsday plane."
One of the United States' four E-4B "Nightwatch" planes flew on June 17, 2025, but that trip wasn't related to the current conflict between Israel and Iran, a spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed.
"The E-4 flew a pre-scheduled mission yesterday, within the United States, that was unrelated to current events in the Middle East," the Air Force spokesperson told Snopes via email.
Data from Flightradar24, a global flight tracking website, show that an E-4B operated by the U.S. Air Force flew from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the evening of Tuesday, June 17, 2025. That same plane flew from Maryland to an Air Force base in Nebraska on June 18, 2025, the flight data show.
The Air Force spokesperson did not confirm this was the same flight they referred to, but directed Snopes to this X post (archived) shared on June 18, 2025, that they said contained "more information" about the June 17 flight:
One of the photos in the post shows a white plane with a blue stripe and writing above it. That's consistent with the appearance of the E-4B shown in photos on the Air Force website.
The E-4B, also known as "Nightwatch," is a "militarized version" of the Boeing 747-200 commercial airplane, the Air Force explains on its website. It essentially serves as a command center for the president, secretary of defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff during war or other emergencies.
If there is a national emergency or ground-based command and control centers are destroyed, the plane "provides a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders and coordinate actions by civil authorities," according to the Air Force.
The plane's main deck is divided into six areas — a command work area, conference room, briefing room, an operations team work area, communications area and rest area — and can seat a crew of up to 112 people. It has features that are designed to protect it from the effects of a nuclear blast as well as an "advanced satellite communications system," the Air Force says.
The E-4B also transports the secretary of defense and their staff during international travel, ensuring the team stays connected to military command and control structures.
In order to "provide direct support" to the president and other defense leaders, at least one E-4B is always on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at one of many selected bases throughout the world, according to the Air Force.
For further reading, Snopes investigated whether Iranian state TV announced, "Tonight, a great surprise will occur, one that the world will remember for centuries." We also looked into a video that claimed to show Iranian missiles striking Israel in June 2025.
Air Force spokesperson. "Re: Urgent inquiry: Fact check - E-4B Nightwatch." Received by Megan Loe. 18 June 2025. Email Interview.
Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24." Flightradar24, www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/74-0787. Accessed 18 June 2025.
X (Formerly Twitter), 18 June 2025, x.com/SecAFOfficial/status/1935425913795264932. Accessed 18 June 2025.
U.S. Air Force. "E-4B." U.S. Air Force, www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104503/e-4b/. Accessed 18 June 2025.
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