The United States has acquired aircraft, known as 'doomsday plane', capable of withstanding a nuclear attack to prepare for any eventuality, allowing the president and senior command to continue their missions. Now, the replacement of aircraft dating back to the 1970s is underway.
It is the plane of last resort. Commonly called the "doomesday plane", it is intended to allow the President of the United States , his Secretary of State for War and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take over from the air in the event of the destruction of ground command centers.
They will thus be able, in the event of a major conflict – and in particular a nuclear attack – to serve as an "airborne crisis cell", to ensure the command of American forces, coordinate military and government operations, transmit orders and direct the actions of the civil authorities.
Flight tests for the next doomesday plane, E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Control, or SAOC, are being held at the Aviation Innovation and Technology Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Due to their ultra-sensitive nature, the equipment, precise configuration and technical details of the E-4B Nightwatch are obviously confidential, like certain elements of the presidential aircraft Air Force One.
The US Air Force has nevertheless released some details on the configuration of the current "apocalypse planes" - which may provide indications of the development work underway on their successors: the E-4Bs are refuelable in flight, to increase their autonomy, they can carry up to 111 people and the main deck is divided into six zones (command, conference, briefing, work, communication, rest rooms).
These aircraft are protected against electromagnetic attacks, capable of withstanding nuclear radiation, and have ultra-secure satellite communications systems that are resilient to any type of threat. The large amount of electronic and electrical equipment also requires a powerful air conditioning system to cool these components.
Operational permanence is assured 24 hours a day with "at least one aircraft" on alert, indicates the US Air Force.
These aircraft have not yet been used for their original mission. They may therefore be used for the transport and logistical support of the Secretary of State for War and his staff and may also be requisitioned to provide airborne communications and command centers in the event of natural disasters.
The very first E-4A version of the "doomsday planes," also a Boeing 747 derivative, made its maiden flight in 1973. According to The War Zone , three of the four E-4Bs currently in service are actually modernized E-4As.
The first 747-8 earmarked for E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Control project, arrived at Sierra Nevada’s innovation and technology center at Dayton International Airport in June 2024, about a month and a half after the contract was awarded. Three more 747-8s have followed, with the fourth having arrived in April 2025.
