Aviation enthusiasts were drawn to the FamCamp end of South Road last week while one of the US Air Force’s four E-4B 747s was on the tarmac at Hanscom Air Force Base. It departed shortly after sunset on Thursday evening.
Known as ‘the Doomsday plane,’ the aircraft visited the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base. Its program offices are world leaders in developing and fielding command, control, communication, computer, and intelligence (C4I) systems.
E-4Bs were first deployed by the Air Force in 1980.
About the E-4B
The E-4B serves as the National Airborne Operations Center and is a key component of the National Military Command System for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In case of national emergency or destruction of ground command and control centers, the aircraft provides a highly survivable command, control, and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities. The conduct of E-4B operations encompasses all phases of the threat spectrum. Additionally, the E-4B provides outside the continental United States travel support for the Secretary of Defense and his staff to ensure Title 10 command and control connectivity.
All E-4B aircraft are assigned to the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
Fact Sheet: http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104503/e-4b/
~ Bob Maynard, Chief Pilot for the Lincoln Labs Flight Test Facility, contributed to this report
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