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A United States Navy Boeing E-6B Mercury aircraft, also known as a “doomsday plane,” mysteriously vanished from radar systems over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday. The aircraft gets its unique nickname due to its purpose of being an airborne command post and communications relay center during a nuclear war.
The U.S. Navy’s Boeing E-6B Mercury, one of just 16 specially developed “doomsday planes,” is to be used by the President, Secretary of Defense, and U.S. Strategic Command. The plane, according to the Navy, “provides survivable, reliable and endurable airborne Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications.” The plane is built to survive any large electromagnetic pulse and uses analog technology as opposed to digital systems.
“Two operational squadrons, the ‘Ironmen’ of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 3 and ‘Shadows’ of VQ-4, deploy from their main operating base at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, supported by the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Weapons School and the ‘Roughnecks’ of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 7, a Fleet Replacement Squadron,” the Navy explains. “They deploy aircrews to forward operating bases at Travis Air Force Base, California; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.; and other locations, as directed.”
According to Boeing, “The TACAMO airplanes support the Navy’s ballistic missile submarine force, providing a vital link to the force from national command authorities.”
@dailymail A US Navy 'Doomsday plane' has vanished after embarking on a mysterious transatlantic mission. The Boeing E-6B Mercury was last seen crossing the Atlantic east of Virginia Beach on public flight-tracking systems around 8.30am ET on Friday. One of just 16 specialized 'Doomsday planes,' Mercury serves as a command-and-control hub for US Strategic Command, the Secretary of War and the President. Read more on DailyMail.com 📷 DVIDS / AirNavy / ADS-B Exchange #navy #military #plane #travel #news ♬ original sound – Daily Mail
Is a U.S. Navy Boeing E-6B Mercury aircraft vanishing from radar a reason for concern?
DailyMail.com reports one of these “doomsday planes” departed Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary’s County, Maryland on Friday. At first, it appeared to follow a routine southeast path over the Chesapeake Bay and passed the Norfolk naval complex. However, about 60 miles east of the Virginia Capes, the plane’s public transponder went dark.
“Once over the ocean, Mercury typically enters classified warning zones, lowers a multi-mile trailing wire antenna, and flies racetrack patterns for four to eight hours while sending secure test messages to submarines and ground stations,” DailyMail.com explained.
This particular aircraft, operating with the callsign AFD FE2, shutting off its transponder is actually standard operating procedure for classified missions. So, that sort of occurrence is not unusual. What is slightly unusual is that it took off on this secret mission one day after Thanksgiving, a time when U.S. military operations are typically more scaled back.
So, while the “doomsday plane” disappearing over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday stirred up speculation and concern among aviation and defense enthusiasts, no further reports have led to any real cause for alarm.