E-4B Nightwatch: this is the inside of the 'Doomsday Plane' of the US Air Force

@DefAviation ES 5·10·2022 · 22:54 0

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a wide variety of aircraft, but among the most important are its Boeing E-4B Nightwatch.

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Outwardly, these planes, which entered service in 1974, can be confused with the famous "Air Force One" in which the presidents of the United States travel around the world, since they are basically the same model of plane: the Boeing 747. But apart from the differences in its decoration, the E-4B Nightwatch is a sophisticated command and communications post for the US President and Secretary of Defense in the most difficult situations, including a nuclear war. For this reason, the E-4Bs are officially designated as the National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP). In addition, E-4Bs are routinely used as transport aircraft for the Secretary of Defense when traveling abroad.

In total, the USAF has 4 E-4Bs (one original E-4B and three E-4A that were later upgraded to the B version). All four are operated by the 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron (1ACCS) of the 595th Command and Control Group, based at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. These planes are prepared to resist an electromagnetic pulse and have shields against nuclear and thermal effects. Airborne personnel belong to four different branches of service: the Air Force, the Army, the Navy and the Marines. Due to its special mission, this model is known by the nickname "Doomsday Plane". These aircraft are alert and ready to take off 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A year ago, US Defense News published an interesting report showing the inside of one of these airborne command posts:

Today, Military Times has published a video in which he interviews some of its crew: