If there ever were a nuclear war
and all US military ground communication was destroyed,
this $223 million plane
would become the command and control center
for the US military's most senior officials.
This is the E-4B "Nightwatch."
It's basically a flying war room
designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
Ryan Pickrell: I like to think of the E-4B as kind of like
a flying backup Pentagon.
Potentially more secure than the Pentagon.
If you're seeing it at its maximum capability,
which hopefully we never do,
yeah, you're looking at an apocalyptic scenario,
which is why it's affectionately known as
the "doomsday plane."
Narrator: Four E-4Bs make up
the National Airborne Operations Center.
And the US Air Force is responsible
for the operation of all four of them
out of Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska.
The retrofitted Boeing 747s were made for war.
Originally designed in 1973, the E-4 series planes
were thought to be the best way
a president during the Cold War
might survive a nuclear explosion.
And since their inception, one of the doomsday planes
has stood on alert 24/7.
Edward Garcia: Because we're a 24/7 ops mission,
we are not a non-deployable unit due to our proximity
to the president and all other key assets at one time.
But, day to day, it is highly important
because we can assume the role of a primary command center,
much like the Pentagon is, much like strat-com can be.
We can assume that role in the air as well.
Narrator: In the immediate aftermath of a nuclear blast,
the president, the secretary of defense,
and the joint chiefs of staff
would all be safe aboard the E-4B.
From there, they could order nuclear strikes
or execute emergency war orders.
And while the majority of the E-4B's capabilities
are classified, we do know a few things.
The plane has three decks and can hold a crew
of up to 112 people.
With four massive engines, the E-4B can fly
for 12 hours straight without refueling,
though with aerial refueling capabilities
it could theoretically fly for several days.
It costs nearly $160,000 per hour to fly the E-4B,
making it the most expensive airplane
the Air Force operates.
And it's built to survive a nuclear blast.
To prevent radiation, the windows have a wired mesh,
similar to what you'd see on the window of a microwave.
Equipment and wiring on board are hardened
to survive an electromagnetic pulse.
There's also thermal and nuclear shielding
and direct-fire countermeasures.
Aboard the plane, space is broken down
to optimize war coordination.
At the front of the plane,
executive quarters house the senior military officials.
The upper rest has 18 bunks available
for the Air Force crew.
They work 24-hour, seven-day shifts and sleep on board.
Beneath that is the secure conference room,
where the joint chiefs, president,
and secretary of defense can give war orders.
The briefing room is where officials
can update the traveling press, or battle staff,
on strategy and coordination efforts.
In the center of the plane,
officers from every branch of the military
will hammer out a strategy in the event of a crisis.
This base is known as the battle-staff room.
And all outside communication happens
at the back of the aircraft
from the communication and technical control room.
From here, operators can communicate
with virtually anyone in the world,
in any situation.
Scott McCandless: It's designed that,
in the most austere environments,
during or after a nuclear war,
it survives and can communicate,
from the most cutting-edge communications technology
to old, antiquated communications technology.
We have the ability to endure and communicate
with fielded forces and the rest of the US government.
Narrator: That bubble on top of the E-4B
is where all the communication technology is held.
It's called the "ray dome," and an estimated
67 satellite dishes and antennas are kept here.
The E-4B has more communication capabilities
than Air Force One.
There's even a 5-mile-long "tail" that can be extended
behind the plane to allow for communication
with submarines that are underwater.
But even with all the fancy communication tech,
you'd be surprised at how old-school
the rest of the technology on board is.
There's no digital, and there's no touch screens.
Everything is analog. And that's on purpose.
That vintage vibe continues throughout the airplane.
Pickrell: The E-4B doesn't really have windows,
and it's actually really drab on the inside.
You're looking at kind of a beige color
that looks like it came straight out of the 1970s or '80s,
which it did.
Narrator: The doomsday plane's utilitarian nature is
completely intentional to keep the focus on the job at hand:
preparing for the worst.
But hopefully we'll never have to see
the doomsday plane at its full capacity.
During peacetime, the E-4B's main job is to transport
the secretary of defense on foreign trips,
and one always follows the president in Air Force One
on overseas visits.
Garcia: The mission is very tedious, it is, no kidding,
one of the most arduous things that you could possibly do,
but it's so rewarding in the sense of,
every day you know that you're doing something
or you're preparing for the worst.