Amid rising tension in the Middle East, one of the United States most important military aircraft, commonly known as the “Doomsday plane”, was recently spotted flying over California, as per reports. The aircraft was seen performing manoeuvres at low altitude near the city of Fresno, raising speculation about security concerns.
The sighting comes as the FBI reportedly warned law enforcement that Iran could attempt a retaliatory drone attack on the US West Coast. Intelligence suggested Iran might launch unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the American coast, possibly targeting California.
The aircraft near Fresno was reportedly a Boeing E-6B Mercury, a military plane serving as an airborne command centre during emergencies or nuclear conflict. Reports noted that it spent nearly two hours at Fresno Yosemite International Airport performing “touch-and-go” training, which involves brief landings followed by immediate takeoffs.
The E-6B Mercury plays a critical role in the US nuclear command system. It ensures that the country’s leadership, including the US President and defence officials, can remain connected with nuclear forces even if ground command centres are destroyed during a major attack.
The aircraft can communicate with all three parts of the US nuclear triad—nuclear bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched missiles—ensuring command and control in extreme situations.
Interestingly, a similar aircraft, the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch, was also spotted at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this year during a visit by the US defence secretary.
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