Wednesday the internet went wild with speculation over a mysterious high altitude aircraft that was seen circling the city of Denver, CO for about an hour.
Mystery Solved! Late Thursday the US Navy identified the aircraft as one of their own, a Navy E-6B Mercury. Nicknamed the TACAMO (“Take Charge and Move Out”), the E-6B Mercury is derived from the Boeing 707 and acts as a Communications relay and strategic airborne command post aircraft with a flight ceiling above 40,000 feet.
According to Denver7 News, A plane shrouded in mystery captured the attention of thousands on Wednesday.
Denver7 branded it a mystery in a previous report because officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and a dozen Air Force Bases could not confirm what the flight may have been.
A day later — after the plane landed — Navy officials responded to comment on the flight, confirming it did hang over Denver for roughly an hour in a holding pattern.
Lt. Leslie Hubbell, who is the assistant public affairs officer for Commander Naval Air Forces, confirmed IRON99’s identity is a Navy E-6B Mercury, created by Boeing at a cost of $141.7 million per unit.
The unit’s overall mission is classified, Hubbell said, but did confirm the mission of the plane’s class.
Read More- Navy identifies mystery plane seen over Denver
![U.S. Navy photo/Released [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/fightersweep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/E-6B_Mercury_flies_over_Solomons_Island_in_November_2014.jpg?resize=1024%2C634&ssl=1)
U.S. Navy E-6B photo/Released [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons