Was The Air Force’s E-4B ‘Doomsday Plane’ Really In Bossier This Week?

If you've lived around Barksdale Air Force Base for any decent amount of time, you've seen some wild things in the air. To be honest, the first time someone is in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, and they see a B-52 Stratofortress bomber coming through the air, its startling. But after you've been around for a minute, its old hat.

But even for those that have been around Barksdale for while, when something out of the ordinary comes through the air, you notice. So when something that looks like Air Force One on steroids comes across the clouds, it catches a lot of local attention...and confusion.

Not Your Average Air Force One: A Mystery Over Barksdale

Earlier this week, social media in Shreveport was buzzing with the idea that Air Force One was landing at Barksdale. But keeping track of President Donald Trump's movement through news outlets, at stop at Barksdale didn't make sense. However, that didn't stop the Shreveport social speculation circle from firing off "possibles" without researching anything.

The Air Force itself actually told us what was going on in Bossier.

But it wasn't just the Shreveport social speculation system that was asking questions about what was going on. The national media was paying attention too, but when they start asking questions, they're a lot more educated than social media bots.

National Media Identifies the "Doomsday Plane"

The national media recognized that this wasn't Air Force One, this was something a little more notable...due to the atmosphere of global politics right now. The fact that this particular aircraft was flying out, and stopping at Global Strike Command before heading to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland (just outside Washington DC), created a stir with many who know what this aircraft is.

The plane that landed at Barksdale this week is the E-4B "Nightwatch", which carries a different designation outside of the Air Force. Those who know what this plane is often refer to it as "The Doomsday Plane".

The E-4B Nightwatch: A Mobile Command Center's Capabilities

This Nightwatch/Doomsday Plane is a beefed up Boeing 747, that has essentially been militarized. There are theories that this plane could sustain a nuclear attack, or an EMP attack, and remain operational. The purpose of this aircraft is to serve as the mobile "situation room" for the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a disaster or attack.

The Doomsday Plane was used during the September 11th attacks in 2001...when it also came to Barksdale Air Force Base to be used by President George W. Bush.

Global Tensions and the Doomsday Plane's Recent Flight

After stopping in Bossier, the Doomsday Plane took off for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This started a stir with the national media, due to the rising tensions between the United State, Israel, and Iran. With signs pointing to increased military involvement, the use of the Doomsday Plane could signal a further escalation from America.

Air Force Clarifies "Doomsday Plane" Movements: Training Mission or Show of Force?

But the Air Force answered those questions, by stating that the trip of the Doomsday Plane from Barksdale AFB to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland was just a simple training mission, and had nothing to do with the Israel/Iran tensions. While this was supported by the fact the Doomsday Plane left Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for Nebraska not long after landing, some still feel like there was something more to this flight.

Some continue to believe, that even if this was a training mission flight, it was a "show of force" move directed at those in the Middle East. So even though it wasn't going into use by the President due to the Israel/Iran situation, the movement of the plane may still have been a result of the tensions in the Middle East.