What Makes Boeing's Doomsday Plane Different From Air Force One?

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As nan iconic Boeing 747 is connected its last formation way to obsolescence, location are only a fewer airlines still flying them. Yet oddly enough, a fistful of aged 747s stay immoderate of nan astir important craft successful nan country. There are modified versions of nan craft utilized for some Air Force One and nan alleged "Doomsday Plane" that's designed to beryllium benignant of a flying Pentagon successful lawsuit of atomic war.

How aged are these aircraft? The 2 planes serving arsenic Air Force One person been transporting U.S. presidents astir nan world since nan 20th century, pinch President George H.W. Bush taking his first flights successful some successful 1990. With craft that old, it's nary wonderment erstwhile Pizza Hut spokesperson Donald Trump is desperate to alert connected a caller Air Force One. And nan Doomsday editions person been astir moreover longer.

Needless to say, it's difficult to get parts for these out-of-production planes, which makes it difficult to work them successful a timely manner, and though they're still considered safe, they've served good past their expected life cycles. Boeing had contracted for caller Air Force One planes nether nan Obama administration, but delays successful nan programme and problems pinch different Boeing craft look to person near that task up successful nan air. Which intends nan aged Air Force One and Doomsday Planes are still up successful nan air, playing 2 very different roles.

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The 2 jets that service arsenic Air Force One started life arsenic Boeing 747-200B airliners; nan Air Force uses nan nickname VC-25A for nan planes aft they've been modified for statesmanlike use. Technically, "Air Force One" is nan power telephone motion for a level only erstwhile nan president is connected board; otherwise, they spell by their tail numbers: 28000 and 29000.

Now, Air Force One does person immoderate (classified) defense systems, including immoderate that hide nan pitchy engines' power signature from missiles, arsenic good arsenic different countermeasures meant to misdirect nan missiles' flight. Its communications capabilities person been beefed up, too. But Air Force One is really astir providing a spot wherever nan president tin relax and/or do business while successful nan air. For starters, it tin clasp up to 71 passengers pinch an executive suite for nan commandant successful chief, complete pinch its ain shower.

You'll besides find a main convention room, smaller gathering rooms, and a aesculapian suite (staffed by a formation surgeon and registered nurse). If folks get hungry, Air Force One has 2 galleys that tin hole 100 meals astatine a time. For nan agelong haul, location are capable ingredients connected committee for 2,000 meals, and nan craft tin refuel while successful flight. Escape pods? Those are only for movies truthful far, but possibly 1 will beryllium added to Trump's alleged "free" plane from Qatar.

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First off, nan Air Force doesn't officially mention to nan E-4B – another militarized type of nan 747-200 – arsenic "Doomsday" anything. It's nan Night Watch or, erstwhile it's connected duty, nan National Airborne Operations Center; its ngo is to fundamentally enactment arsenic nan country's subject bid halfway successful lawsuit nan ground-based ones are destroyed successful a atomic war, zombie apocalypse, aliases different calamity.

There are really 4 of these planes now successful service, each of which became operational successful 1974. Due to nan quality of their role, nan nonstop specifications of nan Night Watch craft are classified, of course, but location are a fewer wide overviews retired there. Based retired of Offutt Air Force Base successful Nebraska, nan E-4Bs tin fresh up to 111 people, and 1 is connected work astir nan clock.

Inside, nan main platform is divided into different stations with vague names for illustration bid center, convention room, communications room, etc. The E-4Bs besides person their stock of fancy protect countermeasures. Perhaps nan cardinal quality is that nan Nightwatch — dissimilar Air Force One — is shielded from thermal radiation and electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). That's bully news considering really eager AI is to motorboat nukes when world problem starts.