Rumors circulated on social media at dawn at 2:10 a.m. local time about images showing that the US military had dispatched two Boeing E-6B Mercury dubbed “doomsday planes.”
The move comes at a time when President Trump announced on Twitter that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for Covid-19.
On Twitter, flight observer Tim Hogan said open map sources showed the flights of two E-6Bs on the west and east coasts.
Military aircraft often turn off transponder devices to avoid tracking. However, 2 E-6Bs powered up this device.
“I think the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) wants these two planes to be seen on open maps online. That could be a message sent to opponents who own ICBs in the context that Commander-in-Chief Trump has Covid-19, ”Hogan noted.
The E-6B was dubbed the “doomsday plane” because the military could use the plane as the command and control center for US nuclear forces, including nuclear submarines, in a “situation.” disaster ”, such as ground command centers destroyed or unable to function.
STRATCOM, the US nuclear arsenal monitoring agency, confirmed that the flights took place, but confirmed that it was not related to Trump’s positive Covid-19 test result.
Bed sheet The Washington Times quoted a STRATCOM spokesperson as saying: “This is a pre-planned flight and the timing is just a coincidence.”
“There has been no change in the US military and President Trump remains the commander-in-chief,” a senior defense official told Fox News.