Latest news with #E-4Bs
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
US E-4B ‘doomsday plane' makes unexpected flight to Washington DC as Donald Trump weighs Iran strike
One of America's 'doomsday planes' made flight to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC Tuesday night as President Trump weighs whether to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. The E-4B Nightwatch – which was designed to protect the Secretary of Defense and other national security officials and keep the government operating in the time of nuclear war – was spotted by flight trackers, and made a long, winding route to the capital. The aircraft left Bossier City, Louisiana just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday and landed in Maryland at 10 p.m. after skirting the coast and looping around the border of Virginia and North Carolina, data from flight tracking site FlightRadar shows. Confusion was sparked after the flight issued an unusual callsign, ORDER01 instead of the usual ORDER6, according to flight data. The US fleet of four E-4Bs makes regular flights year-round to maintain military readiness. The E-4B serves as an airborne command center for the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication in case of emergencies. Each E-4B Nightwatch can contain a crew of up to 112 people and has a range of more than 7,000 miles. Their importance to the US Air Force is demonstrated in the fact that they feature unique capabilities which cannot be copied by any other US Air Force aircraft. They are capable of withstanding nuclear blasts, cyberattacks and electromagnetic effects, and are equipped to fire retaliatory missiles. The aircraft also has thermal and nuclear shielding and can communicate with anyone anywhere in the world, thanks to the 67 satellite dishes and antennas contained in its ray dome. They are designed to remain airborne and operate in-flight for an entire week without needing to land and can also refuel in mid-air. The longest an E-4B has been known to stay in the air is 35.4 hours. With 18 bunks, a briefing room, teamwork area, conference room, command room, and designated rest area spread across three decks, the aircraft is designed to be a 'Flying Pentagon' in the event of a national emergency. President George W. Bush's Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, used the E-4B as his primary mode of transportation. The mission may be linked to increased presidential security amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, some observers suggested. The US Air Force is in the process of replacing its fleet of E-4B Nightwatch aircraft. Last April, a $13 billion contract was signed with Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop a replacement for the aircraft, the Aviationist reported. It comes as President Trump demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' as the conflict between the Iranian regime and Israel intensified. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, rejected President Trump's calls on Wednesday, despite the latest airstrikes on Tehran forcing thousands to flee the Iranian capital. At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since Israel launched its bombing campaign on the Islamist regime last week. Two Iranian governmental aircraft left the country's airspace on Wednesday bound for Oman, FlightRadar data shows. This sparked speculation that the senior Iranian leadership were either fleeing their besieged country, or that emergency peace talks were set to take place in the Omani capital, Muscat. Originally published as US E-4B 'doomsday plane' makes unexpected flight to Washington DC as Donald Trump weighs Iran strike
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
US E-4B ‘doomsday plane' makes unexpected flight to DC as Trump weighs Iran strike
One of America's 'doomsday planes' made flight to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC Tuesday night as President Trump weighs whether to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. The E-4B Nightwatch – which was designed to protect the Secretary of Defense and other national security officials and keep the government operating in the time of nuclear war – was spotted by flight trackers, and made a long, winding route to the capital. The aircraft left Bossier City, Louisiana just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday and landed in Maryland at 10 p.m. after skirting the coast and looping around the border of Virginia and North Carolina, data from flight tracking site FlightRadar shows. Advertisement 7 The E-4B Nightwatch — known as a 'doomsday plane' — has made the trip to Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC. 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs 7 The flight path of the E-4B plane. FlightRadar24 Confusion was sparked after the flight issued an unusual callsign, ORDER01 instead of the usual ORDER6, according to flight data. Advertisement The US fleet of four E-4Bs makes regular flights year-round to maintain military readiness. The E-4B serves as an airborne command center for the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication in case of emergencies. Each E-4B Nightwatch can contain a crew of up to 112 people and has a range of more than 7,000 miles. 7 The plane is designed to protect the Secretary of Defense and other national security officials in event of a nuclear war. 100th Air Refueling Wing Advertisement Their importance to the US Air Force is demonstrated in the fact that they feature unique capabilities which cannot be copied by any other US Air Force aircraft. They are capable of withstanding nuclear blasts, cyberattacks and electromagnetic effects, and are equipped to fire retaliatory missiles. Read the latest on the conflict between Israel and Iran The aircraft also has thermal and nuclear shielding and can communicate with anyone anywhere in the world, thanks to the 67 satellite dishes and antennas contained in its ray dome. Advertisement They are designed to remain airborne and operate in-flight for an entire week without needing to land and can also refuel in mid-air. 7 The E-4B plane's relocation comes as President Trump is reportedly weighing a strike against Iran. AFP via Getty Images 7 Smoke coming from an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on June 16, 2025. BERNO/SIPA/Shutterstock The longest an E-4B has been known to stay in the air is 35.4 hours. With 18 bunks, a briefing room, teamwork area, conference room, command room, and designated rest area spread across three decks, the aircraft is designed to be a 'Flying Pentagon' in the event of a national emergency. President George W. Bush's Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, used the E-4B as his primary mode of transportation. 7 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaking with members of an E-4B Nightwatch crew on March 26, 2025. Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs The mission may be linked to increased presidential security amid soaring tensions in the Middle East, some observers suggested. Advertisement The US Air Force is in the process of replacing its fleet of E-4B Nightwatch aircraft. Last April, a $13 billion contract was signed with Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop a replacement for the aircraft, the Aviationist reported. It comes as President Trump demanded Iran's 'unconditional surrender' as the conflict between the Iranian regime and Israel intensified. 7 The fleet of four E-4B planes make regular flights to maintain readiness. 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Advertisement Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, rejected President Trump's calls on Wednesday, despite the latest airstrikes on Tehran forcing thousands to flee the Iranian capital. At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since Israel launched its bombing campaign on the Islamist regime last week. Two Iranian governmental aircraft left the country's airspace on Wednesday bound for Oman, FlightRadar data shows. This sparked speculation that the senior Iranian leadership were either fleeing their besieged country, or that emergency peace talks were set to take place in the Omani capital, Muscat.
Metro
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
US 'Doomsday Plane' spotted near DC: Everything to know about the Boeing E-4B
A US Air Force E-4B aircraft landed near Washington, DC, heightening speculation as President Donald Trump weighs joining the war between Iran and Israel. The 'Nightwatch' aircraft nicknamed the presidential 'Doomsday Plane' touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday night. It departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana, and took a very unusual flight path to arrive close to DC, i24NEWS reported. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Metro on the Boeing E-4B's mission, if it was related to the Iran-Israel conflict and whether Trump was on board. Unlike Air Force One which is known as the 'flying Oval Office', the E-4B Nightwatch is essentially a 'flying war room'. It is referred to as the Doomsday Plane because it has thermal and nuclear shielding designed to withstand nuclear blasts, and an electrical system that is immune to electromagnetic pulses. The plane has the ability to fly for 12 hours without needing to refuel. It is deployed to protect the president and senior administration officials, and is also used to transport the Secretary of Defense internationally. Beside transporting the president and top officials, the E-4B is sometimes flown for training and readiness drills. But the aircraft's irregular flight path and presence near DC the same day that Trump met with his national security advisers in the White House Situation Room boosts theories that it could be linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Equipped with a command and control center to deliver military orders, the Doomsday Plane is meant to be flown in dire scenarios including ahead of a nuclear attack. The world is watching as Trump on Wednesday was cryptic on whether the US will join the war, saying, 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' The US Air Force has a fleet of four E-4Bs and they are all assigned to the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. More Trending E-4Bs have been in operation since the Cold War. One E-4B has been staffed nonstop since 1975. It 'is on alert at all times, often traveling with the president or secretary of defense in case of emergency', according to Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska. 'Nebraska is proud to house this remarkable fleet,' she said in a 2024 column. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Brain dead woman Adriana Smith gives birth after being kept alive due to law MORE: Bunker buster bomb that can penetrate to 200ft is reason Israel wants the US to join war with Iran MORE: 'Dark fleet' tanker caught on fire after being struck in Persian Gulf
