A US “Doomsday” plane that would act as an emergency command center in case of nuclear war was flown to Europe with President Biden’s fleet this week, a new report said.
The ultra-tricked-out Boeing 747, aka “Nightwatch” jet, was spotted landing Thursday at the Royal Air Force base of Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, the Times of London reported.
Biden and an entourage of top aides flew to Brussels on Thursday to try to continue to strengthen support for opposition to Russia while mulling potential new consequences against it over its invasion of Ukraine last month.
The “Doomsday” jet, one of four in the US’s fleet, regularly travels with the secretary of defense. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in Europe as part of his boss’s delegation meeting with NATO and European leaders.
Designed to be “highly survivable” in the case of a nuclear attack, the modified planes have been called “mobile Pentagons.” They provide control of American nuclear weapons from anywhere in the world and under most circumstances, including the aftermath of a nuclear strike.
The plane is rated to withstand nuclear blasts, protected against the effects of electromagnetic pulses which result from atomic explosions, as well as from thermal bombs. The jet also contains the most highly advanced satellite communications systems, according to the Air Force.
The E4-Bs have also been used to supplement communication infrastructure during domestic national disasters.
The Kremlin has repeatedly indicated its willingness to use nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine. In an interview with CNN this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could use its nukes in response to an “existential threat.”