Donald Trump’s ‘doomsday plane’ has a pretty important job and recently made a rare appearance amid the rise of tensions in the Middle East.
The Boeing E-4B ‘Nightwatch’, commonly known by its nickname ‘doomsday plane‘, is vastly different from the bog standard jet we’re used to seeing, as its name suggests.
The impressive Air Force airplane was seen soaring the skies on Tuesday (June 17), having departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana at 5.56pm ET before landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 10.01pm.
Its mysterious four-hour flight comes as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to boil over, with concerns that the emergence of the jet indicates the US could be preparing for a bigger conflict.
The jet has some impressive capabilities (Getty Stock Image/viper-zero)
What is the ‘doomsday plane’?
The Air Force jet is no ordinary aircraft, being able to remain airborne for days at a time without needing to land, as it can be refuelled mid-air, and is equipped to transport the president of the United States in an emergency.
That’s not the only thing that’s special about it though, as it’s also able to withstand heavy enemy attacks, including ballistic missiles.
Pilots have specialized masks that prevent them from being blinded in nuclear blasts while its windows can withstand electromagnetic shockwaves.
However, it’s primary purpose is as a military command center in the sky, ultimately protecting the POTUS and other top senior officials in a time of crisis – like 9/11.
It usually springs into action in the event of emergency and the Air Force’s fleet of four remain on ‘continuous alert’, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It works to protect top US officials in the event of an emergency (Getty Stock Image/viper-zero)
And while many other details of the Nightwatch remain classified, it is believed one jet has been on permanent stand-by since 1975 amid the Cold War.
The US Air Force explains further: “In case of national emergency or destruction of ground command and control centers, the aircraft provides a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities.”
Why has the flight sparked concern?
While it’s important to note the Nightwatch fleet does make routine flights throughout the year, its emergence this week does appear quite a coincidence.
Another irregularity about the flight was the fact it used a new and never-before-seen identifier, using ‘ORDER01’ as opposed to its usual ‘ORDER6’.
US officials have not provided any reason as to why the plane was airborne.
Trump hasn’t ruled out US involvement (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Has Trump agreed to strikes on Iran?
Still, the speculation comes as President Donald Trump skipped out of the G7 leaders summit in Canada a day early on Monday (June 16), citing ‘big stuff’ while he urged residents in Iran’s capital, Tehran, to evacuate.
His press secretary also said in a statement that it was the growing Israel-Iran conflict that was behind Trump’s sudden departure.
Then on Tuesday (June 17), Trump met with his top national security advisers where he allegedly approved US involvement with strikes on Iran. However, while he’s ‘approved’ plans for such attacks, the POTUS is reportedly waiting to see if the country will negotiate ending their nuclear program first.
The activity comes as Israel and Iran have launched missile attacks against one another for days (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
As the strategy came to light, Trump explained: “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due.”
Prior to the meeting, Trump ranted on his Truth Social platform that Iran ‘should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign’.
“What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!” he added.
