Latest update:20 December 2025 at 08:06 IST

The Doomsday Plane or E-4B Nightwatch is a heavily modified Boeing 747 that serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) in the United States.

The E-4B Nightwatch was designed to serve as a flight command center. (Image source: Instagram)

At moments when global tensions escalate and uncertainty looms, some systems remain prepared for the worst-case scenarios. Among them is an aircraft designed not for travel or display, but for survival and command when everything on the ground is not working.

Recently, an Instagram video shed light on one of the most secretive and powerful aircraft in the world. The clip focuses on the US Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, widely known as the “Doomsday Plane,” and explains why its movements are closely monitored and analyzed in depth.

What is the doomsday plane?

The E-4B Nightwatch is a heavily modified Boeing 747 that serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) in the United States. Its primary purpose is to ensure the country’s top command is able to continue operating during extreme emergencies including nuclear war or large-scale attacks that could destroy ground command centers.

This aircraft was designed to serve as an aviation command center. It is designed to transport the President, Minister of Defense and senior military officials. From aboard, they can communicate with US forces around the world and issue orders even if ground infrastructure is damaged or disabled.

Doomsday plane is ready for crises

The narrator in the video makes several startling claims about how the plane works. According to the voiceover, “This is the only plane in the world whose engines are never shut down, and even if it needs repairs, workers are forced to do it while the engines are still running. It may seem impossible, but these are the rules for the so-called doomsday plane.”

The video also notes, “This aircraft is on standby 24 hours a day and can take off at any moment. There is always a pilot inside ready to take off immediately upon request.” It adds that the engines remain active so the plane can fly within minutes if a nuclear threat is detected.

The clip also indicates that the plane can refuel in midair, allowing it to remain in the sky for long periods without landing. The narrator concludes: “And if you see this plane taking off, it means that something very scary is happening.”

Doomsday plane spotted during tensions between Iran and Israel

On the night of June 17, flight trackers noticed that the plane was making a flight to Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C. The flight followed a noticeably indirect route which caught the attention of flight controllers and defense observers.

The plane reportedly departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana just before 6pm and landed in Maryland shortly after 10pm, after spending more than four hours in the air.

Although it is known that the E-4B Nightwatch operates regularly as part of exercises and readiness exercises. The June trip stands out because of the timing because it came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.

Another thing that made this trip more noticeable was the use of the new call sign “ORDER01” instead of the commonly used “ORDER6”. According to available tracking data, this call sign has never been used before.

Past appearances of the doomsday plane

The Doomsday Plane appeared during major moments in US history. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush used a similar airborne command plane as part of emergency security measures. In 1995, the plane was also used to transport Federal Emergency Management Agency officials during Hurricane Opal.

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