U.S. Airborne Command Post E-6 Mercuries Operational Off East and West Coasts

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/10/02/donald-trump-tests-positive-for-covid-and-americas-nuclear-doomsday-planes-launch/#48c984d658ba





“I can confirm these flights were pre-planned missions," Karen Singer, a U.S. Strategic Command spokesperson, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto.


The E-6B Mercury is one of the Pentagon’s airborne nuclear command
posts. The four-engine planes—derivatives of the Boeing 707
airliner—carry special communication systems and crews for commanding
the Navy’s Ohio-class nuclear ballistic-missile submarines.



The Navy has 16 Mercuries. One often is in the air, and it’s not
unheard-of for two to be airborne at the same time. But the timing of
Friday’s twin sorties seemed noteworthy to some.