How Often Does The Doomsday Plane Fly, And Is One Always In The Air?

The news these days often feels bleak, with headlines often featuring words like "crisis" and "catastrophe." There's even the infamous doomsday clock, which is designed as a sort of alarm to let us know how close we are to destroying our world. Unfortunately, some do have to plan for the worst, and the "Doomsday" plane is an important piece of that puzzle for the United States government.

The so-called Doomsday plane is actually a $223 million E-4B Nightwatch operated by the U.S. Air Force. This militarized version of a Boeing 747-200 is designed to take flight during a national emergency and serve as a mobile command hub. It's officially called the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) and would transport the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, and other important military leaders during apocalyptic scenarios. 

Designed to survive a nuclear event, it is also shielded against electromagnetic pulses and has a satellite communications system installed to keep leaders in touch with those on the ground. (This communications system is why the Boeing E-4B Doomsday plane has a weird-looking hump on top.) The current Doomsday Plane evolved from a program that began in 1974 with the E-4A, and the Air Force now has four separate Doomsday planes. 

The Doomsday aircraft are stationed in Nebraska, with at least one always on standby should they be needed. One of them was last used for a significant, real-world operation more than 20 years ago on September 11, 2001, when it was sighted flying over Washington, D.C. The Air Force does not keep a plane in the air at all times, as this would be a waste of resources, but it does send the planes on test missions and deploy them for events that require heightened security. The secretary of defense also travels with the E-4B when they leave the continental United States. Should the need arise, the planes can be refueled mid-flight to be able to stay in the air for an entire week.

Just like Air Force One, which is also built by Boeing, the Doomsday aircraft are getting a bit long in the teeth. While there have been upgrades throughout the years, the planes were originally built in the 1970s. However, in 2019, the Air Force launched the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program to finally replace them. The new fleet will also come with updated hangars and training facilities. In 2024, the Air Force awarded a contract worth more than $13 billion to Sierra Nevada Corporation to design the new planes, which are expected to be delivered by 2036.