A tornado hit Offutt Air Force Base and damaged two of the US E-4B 747 jets that serve as national command centers in the case of attack.
Ten aircraft, including the two 747s, were damaged by the tornado, said Capt. Mark Graff, an Air Force spokesman. He said the other two 747s were not damaged by the tornado and can still be used as the national airborne operations center.
The planes are used by the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State for international visits and maintain vital communications — including those with the country’s nuclear missile silos and nuclear-powered submarines — in case of an attack.
The tornado was fast-moving, said Col. Pat Ryder, an Air Force spokesman. “They attempted to hangar as many [planes] as they could. Obviously, some were damaged.” – Military.com
There is always at least one E-4B on alert status and the Air Force stated that operation was not affected by the storm.
Featured image by US Air Force photo/Lance Cheung
