The “Doomsday Plane” has landed in the Washington, D.C., area.
One of a fleet of four specialized aircraft designed to survive a nuclear war has arrived in the nation’s capital, the New York Post reported Wednesday, citing flight tracking sources.
And it’s happening as President Donald Trump is demanding an Iranian surrender in its war with Israel.
– Air Force One “Nightwatch” Lands at Joint Base Andrews
Air Force One, the President’s aircraft, landed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after departing from Shreveport, Louisiana. A Maryland State Police helicopter was observed nearby, shadowing the plane.
The flight… pic.twitter.com/so4KRTQlwc
— The Informant (@theinformant_x) June 18, 2025
According to the Post, the plane flew to D.C. Tuesday night from Bossier City, Louisiana, the home of Barksdale Air Force Base.
It landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland about 10 p.m., after following a circuitous route that took it along the East Coast, the Post reported.
The news caused a stir of excitement on social media, considering the ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran — and Trump’s vocal support for the Jewish State. For some, it raised at least the specter of the fighting reaching the level of a nuclear exchange.
Still, other observers cautioned that the planes don’t sit idle, even under normal conditions.
Will we see a nuclear exchange before the end of the Israel-Iran War?
The four E-4B Nightwatch aircraft are flown regularly year-round to maintain their state of readiness, according to the Post.
And according to an Air Force fact sheet, one of the planes is designated the National Airborne Operations Center at all times “and on alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a global watch team at one of many bases selected throughout the world.”
Nonetheless, considering the unprecedented warfare raging in the Middle East, with Israel destroying not only Iran’s nuclear program but also its military leadership, the arrival of the “Doomsday Plane” in the D.C. environs isn’t going to go unnoticed.
That’s especially true with Trump making no secret of U.S. support for Israel and his harsh words for Iran.
On Tuesday, Trump ended a string of posts about Iran on the Truth Social social media platform with a two-word message demanding “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
US E-4B ‘doomsday plane’ makes unexpected flight to DC as Trump weighs Iran strike https://t.co/3lKKMl7mYN pic.twitter.com/F7zvVu34mh
— New York Post (@nypost) June 18, 2025
And the fact that the aircraft are tricked out with features designed to keep the American government and its military operating under the stress of nuclear war conditions makes the planes’ movements all the more noteworthy.
According to the Post, the planes are protected by thermal and nuclear shielding and carry 67 satellite dishes and antennae for global communication potential.
With a range of 7,000 miles, they can stay airborne for almost the equivalent of a typical work week. The longest an E-B4 has stayed continuously aloft was 35.4 hours, according to the Post.
As the Post put it: “[T]he aircraft is designed to be a ‘Flying Pentagon’ in the event of a national emergency.”
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