Overview
- Flight-tracking and livestreams showed the E-4B moving from Offutt AFB to Joint Base Andrews on Jan. 6 before a closely watched appearance at LAX later in the week.
- Multiple outlets reported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on the aircraft to Los Angeles, with Pentagon reporters also seen boarding at Joint Base Andrews.
- The E-4B Nightwatch serves as the National Airborne Operations Center, a hardened airborne command post designed to ensure continuity of government in extreme crises.
- The U.S. Air Force maintains a four-aircraft E-4B fleet with at least one on alert, featuring secure global communications and in-flight refueling for extended endurance.
- Public videos of the LAX landing fueled online speculation, while military sources emphasized that such movements are often routine readiness rather than an active emergency.