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US Navy's Nuclear Command Plane Goes Dark
28 Nov
Summary
- A US Navy 'Doomsday plane' disappeared from radar during a transatlantic mission.
- The E-6B Mercury serves as a nuclear command and control hub for top US officials.
- The plane's transponder went dark, a normal procedure for sensitive operations.
The US Navy's 'Doomsday plane,' an E-6B Mercury, departed Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, on a mysterious transatlantic mission Friday and subsequently disappeared from public radar. This specialized aircraft serves as a critical command-and-control hub for the US Strategic Command, the Secretary of War, and the President, capable of authorizing nuclear strikes.
Last observed east of Virginia Beach, the aircraft's transponder signal ceased transmission over the Atlantic Ocean, a standard procedure during classified operations. The E-6B Mercury is designed to maintain communication with U.S. strategic forces, including ballistic-missile submarines, even during a nuclear conflict, often flying extended patterns with a unique trailing wire antenna.
These flights, part of Operation Looking Glass, are vital for ensuring command continuity if ground-based facilities are compromised. The fleet, built between 1989 and 1992, utilizes older analog technology to withstand electromagnetic pulses from nuclear detonations, highlighting its unique role in national defense strategy.
