"Doomsday Plane" of U.S. Military Reported to Have Deployed Multiple Times

According to the Global Times, citing the UK Daily Mail on September 9, flight tracking data shows that recently, the U.S. Navy E-6B “Mercury” strategic airborne command aircraft has been frequently taking off. This aircraft is known as the “Doomsday Plane.” Its fuselage is based on the Boeing 707 and is specially designed to survive in a nuclear war environment and coordinate U.S. military operations from the air. Its special antennas can maintain communication with nuclear submarines in the deep sea, satellites in space, land-based bases, and underground missile facilities. During wartime, it can serve as an airborne command center for the U.S. President and Secretary of Defense. This “Doomsday Plane” is primarily tasked with executing the “Takeover and Action” mission, which involves ensuring that the U.S. President or senior leaders can still issue commands to nuclear submarines if conventional communication lines are disrupted.