Overview
- Flight tracking showed an E-4B left Offutt Air Force Base on Jan. 6 for Joint Base Andrews before flying to Los Angeles later in the week.
- The LAX arrival and departure were captured on an Airline Videos livestream that observers said was likely the aircraft’s first appearance at the airport.
- Multiple outlets reported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was aboard for the California leg, with members of the Pentagon press corps and influencers also seen boarding at Andrews.
- The Pentagon has not provided an official reason for using the National Airborne Operations Center, and defense sources emphasize training, logistics, or readiness as typical explanations.
- The four-aircraft E-4B fleet serves as a hardened airborne command post kept on constant alert, a role that fuels public speculation when one is seen at a major civilian airport.