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As President Donald Trump weighs whether he will target Iranian nuclear facilities amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict, the president’s U.S. Air Force E-4B Nightwatch, also known as the “doomsday plane,” is now attracting attention, having reportedly landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., earlier this week, according to the New York Post and other media.
In response to inquiries about the alleged Nightwatch landing, officials from Joint Base Andrews told Fox News Digital that “as a matter of operational security, we cannot comment on specific location or purpose of the [National Airborne Operations Center] or other aircraft on our flightline.” Other reports say the plane is no longer in the Washington area and is back at its home base.
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Here’s what to know about the E-4B Nightwatch:
Military personnel direct a E-4B Nightwatch at the Lincoln Airport on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. The planes, colloquially known as the doomsday planes, normally fly out of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, but are in Lincoln while that runway is being rebuilt. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)
What is the E-4B?
The E-4B is a Boeing 747-200 that has been militarized and is operated by the U.S. Air Force. Designed during the Cold War, the plane can remain airborne for up to a week and is able to refuel in midair.
Sixty-seven antennas and satellite dishes allow the Nightwatch to communicate with individuals worldwide.
The U.S. maintains a fleet of four E-4Bs, built at a cost of $438.76 million each.
Whom does the E-4B protect?
A U.S. Air Force E-4B assigned to the 595th Command and Control Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., flies on a training sortie over the Midwest, May, 15, 2024. The E-4B is a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200, consisting of four engines and a swept-wing design. It is capable of long-range, high-altitude operations and in-flight air refueling. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Codie Trimble)
The E-4B is designed as a mobile command post that allows national security officials, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President, and the Secretary of Defense to continue running the government during a nuclear conflict.
According to a USAF press release, it is also used for international travel by the Secretary of Defense.
“Additionally, the E-4B provides outside the continental United States travel support for the Secretary of Defense and his staff to ensure Title 10 command and control connectivity.” According to the Aviation Zone, in 1994 FEMA was authorized to use the plane as a control and command center during natural disasters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signs a memorandum aboard an E-4B Nightwatch aircraft while flying over the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2025. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech)
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Publicly available U.S. Air Force data states that “at least one E4-B is always generated as a NAOC and on alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” to support senior defense officials.
The E-4B can hold a crew of 112. Onboard, officials have access to 18 bunks, six bathrooms, a conference room, communications space, a briefing room and a rest area.
Lt. Col. Mike Moone, a navigator on a E-4B Nightwatch, prepares for takeoff at the Lincoln Airport on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)
Why use the E4-B?
The Air Force says that “the conduct of E-4B operations encompasses all phases of the threat spectrum.” The Nightwatch can withstand an electromagnetic pulse and can survive nuclear blasts and cyberattacks.
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What is the current threat?
Leaders within Iran have threatened retaliation against the U.S. in the event it enters the Israel-Iran conflict. Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer and CEO of the cybersecurity firm Fortalice Solutions, told Fox News Digital that the Islamic Regime may prepare a high-impact cyberattack on the U.S. “as it becomes more and more desperate.”
Lt. Col. Peter J. Amaral, left, and Maj. Ted DeBonis exit a E-4B Nightwatch at the Lincoln Airport on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)
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The president is said to be deciding whether to use the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver a series of 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrators, also known as “bunker busters,” to destroy Iran’s well-fortified Fordow nuclear facility, which may lie further than 300 feet below mountainous rock.
While Israel targeted facilities associated with the Iranian military and Iran’s nuclear program, on June 19, Iran struck Soroka Hospital, the largest hospital in southern Israel, with a ballistic missile, causing damage.