What is the Doomsday plane used for?

National Emergency Airborne Command Post
The Nightwatch is described by the U.S. Air Force as a modified Boeing 747-200B for the National Emergency Airborne Command Post. It’s designed to carry the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a nuclear attack.

What is the President’s Doomsday plane?

E-4Bs
Widely referred to as “Doomsday Planes,” the Air Force’s four existing E-4Bs are based on Boeing 747 airframes and are most famous for providing a robust and survivable airborne command post that offers a platform for the President of the United States, under a framework known as the National Command Authority (NCA).

Where are the doomsday planes kept?

LINCOLN, Neb. — The U.S. military’s four “doomsday” planes have been moved to their new temporary home in Lincoln from Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha as the base undergoes a $144 million runway replacement.

What plane does the Secretary of Defense use?

Rumsfeld’s “flying Pentagon” of choice is an Air Force E-4B aircraft, a highly modified Boeing 747-200 four-engine jet. Known as the National Airborne Operations Center, the plane boasts sophisticated communications equipment as well as the capability to be refueled in flight.

What Jet always follows Air Force One?

The aircraft popularly called the “Doomsday” plane always follows Air Force One. This plane (there are reportedly four of them in existence), the E-B4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, is an airborne nuclear bunker and command center that was designed at the height of the Cold War to resist a nuclear attack.

Does Air Force 1 have missiles?

Among other things, the plane is outfitted with electronic counter measures (ECM) to jam enemy radar. The plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course.

What jet always follows Air Force One?

What aircraft does the first lady fly on?

The primary users of the C-32A are the vice president of the United States (using the call sign “Air Force Two” when aboard), the first lady, and the secretary of state. On occasion, other members of the president’s Cabinet and members of Congress have flown aboard the C-32A for various missions.

What is an E-4B aircraft?

A U.S. Air Force E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft takes off from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, July 10, 2019. The E-4B provides travel support for the Secretary of Defense and their staff to ensure command and control connectivity outside of the continental United States.

What is the E-4B Doomsday plane?

The E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Center, fittingly known as the “Doomsday Plane,” is a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200, four-engine, swept-wing, long-range high-altitude airplane that is capable of refueling in flight.

What is an E-4?

The E-4 fleet was originally deployed in 1974, when it was termed National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) (often pronounced “kneecap”). The aircraft was to provide a survivable platform to conduct war operations in the event of a nuclear attack. Early in the E-4’s service, the media dubbed the aircraft as “the doomsday planes”.

What is the E-4B National airborne operations center?