The E-4B: America's Doomsday Plane

Dive into the E-4B Nightwatch, the U.S. Air Force’s ultimate airborne command post designed for nuclear war. Discover its history, capabilities, and critical role in global defense strategy. Watch now!

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[kfeltenberger]

Back when the E-4 was still stationed at Andrews AFB, my dad took me down for a tour of the base. It was all pretty cool until the PIO that was hosting the tour pointed to an E-4 and explained what it was and if the sirens ever went off and the flashing emergency lights activated at the hanger that "something bad" had just happened and it was likely that the end was coming rather quickly courtesy of the Soviets. A few minutes later all hell broke loose and sirens went off, the emergency lights flashed, and the crew scrambled to the E-4 for an emergency launch.

The PIO had this deer in the headlights look on his face and my dad asked, rather calmly, "So...are we all f*cked, is this a test, or is this just part of the tour?"

Turns out someone decided it would be a "good thing" to have an emergency readiness drill since the President was out of town.

It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

[aerotube]

As long as simon has an onboard studio and supply of prewritten scripts Im happy

[kentswan]

the question then becomes how many of the in flight refueling aircraft are also emp protected?

[ShukenFlash]

I got to see these flying overhead recently when I was working out in Omaha near Offutt AFB.

[dustybunny]

I used to guard those things. Fucking hate them. 14 hours in the snow at night. God damned Nebrasksa...

[j.a.weishaupt]

I can’t believe it. Not a single stupid spelling mistake in the thumbnail.
Well done guys!

*edit: never mind. You wrote “the the world”…

[dahobdahob]

Oh cool. My dad was one of the designers of the original VLF TWA for TACAMO. When I was a kid, he used to fly out of Waco in a modified C-130 to test the 5-mile antenna and the circling maneuver they had to do to get the wire more or less vertical.

He has a story about how ice build up on the antenna would sometimes make it too heavy for the motoes to reel it back in. The test pilots would waggle the plane up and down to "whip crack" the wire and knock enough ice off to retrieve it. Otherwise they had to cut it loose to fall into the gulf.

[mahina]

This is "Hope for the best, Plan for the worst" at it's highest level of engagement

[Jayjay-qeum]

The E-4B plays a prominent role in two motion pictures. In the 1990 HBO film By Dawn's Early Light, following a nuclear strike by the Soviets, the aircraft serves as a flying platform for the presumed president, the ex-Secretary of the Interior, who is played by Darren McGavin. The aircraft is pursued by Boeing EC-135 "Looking Glass", which successfully intercepts.

[davidmohr]

Used to be called the NEACP: National Emergency Airborne Command Post; Nicknamed KNEECAP...

[JM-wfto]

15:41 shout out Sgt Hudson sitting pilot seat, Sgt ( Something ) Cross sitting at the FE table and i am pretty sure thats at the time Sra Pantfoeder watching on. Maintenance team doing engine runs. Guy in co pilot seat was a jet engine mechanic whos name escapes.

[Krty]

A made for HBO movie, "By Dawn's Early Light, " featured the E-4 prominently.

[JM-wfto]

Hell ya. haven't listened yet, but I spent 4 years as a crew chief on those stationed at offutt AFB.

[cruisinguy]

16:40 gahhhh there is NO SUCH thing as “Air Force One aircraft.” It’s just a call sign, there’s an entire fleet of USAF VIP aircraft and POTUS will often fly on the C-32 (B757) instead of the VC-25 when flying into smaller airports. Sometimes the aircraft will be swapped out during a trip if there was a maintenance/mechanical issue on the primary aircraft.

The fleet of aircraft the president can, or has, flown on to all the way down to small twin engine jets like the Gulfstream V and even smaller.

[MacGod]

FYI, at at 1:41, you have EPM instead of EMP

[singemfrc]

Got to see one of these do an aerial demonstration at an air show a few years ago. One of the coolest things I've ever seen in the air.

[smithandshortdogs]

During the Bush 2 administration NAOC was at my base all the time, to support the Crawford TX. Ranch. Taking care of them was a right pain in the butt.

[jakelandry]

I used to be stationed across the ramp from this thing. It's insane inside

[milk-it]

Love this aircraft. My solely manual caliber Omega Speedmaster will still be ticking after the EMP. Too bad to those with electronic watches.

[jonniez]

Looking Glass is a completely different mission and paired with the PACCS mission.