Overview

• The aircraft executed a circuitous flight from Bossier City, Louisiana, to Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday night, using the callsign ORDER01 instead of its standard ORDER6.
• Equipped with hardened shielding against electromagnetic pulses and nuclear blasts, the Nightwatch supports global command operations via its 67 onboard satellite dishes and can launch retaliatory missiles.
• President Trump has called for Iran’s unconditional surrender, a demand rebuffed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who warned U.S. intervention would inflict irreparable damage.
• The U.S. Air Force keeps four E-4B Nightwatch planes on continuous alert at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, to ensure government continuity during national emergencies.
• The Nightwatch has previously been employed as a mobile command center during crises such as the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Opal relief efforts.