The E-4B serves as a flying command post for top officials, including the president, vice president, and Secretary of War, during crises. It is a heavily modified Boeing 747 designed to survive nuclear blasts, electromagnetic pulses, and other worst-case scenarios. Offutt Air Force Base is home to the fleet of E-4B jets and the US nuclear command center, and at least one E-4B remains on alert around the clock.
Officials said the flight was a routine training exercise to ensure the craft is prepared for a real-world emergency. The aircraft departed Offutt at 10:17am ET. Training exercises include instrument approaches, touch-and-go landings, low-level maneuvers, and holding patterns.
Trump threatened to rain 'hell' on Tehran unless it agreed to a deal by Tuesday to reopen the vital route for global energy supplies.
The airspace south and southeast of Offutt is commonly used for these exercises because it has less civilian air traffic. According to major media reports, the last published E-4B flight was in January, when the aircraft was spotted in Los Angeles, California. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was on board that flight, along with conservative media correspondents, according to reports.
The Pentagon clarified the Los Angeles stop was planned as part of Hegseth's 'Arsenal of Freedom' tour, according to reports.