A new American doomsday aircraft, the E-XX, is reported to be detached from ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers. A Northrop Grumman spokesperson is cited in the reporting for the claim.
The article stresses that the aircraft designed to replace the E-6B Mercury is described as able to communicate solely with nuclear submarines equipped with ballistic missiles. In contrast, the aging E-6 Mercury itself has demonstrated the capability to link not only with sea-based missiles but also with land-based ICBMs and strategic bombers.
According to the publication, the E-XX project did not rely on new technological breakthroughs during its development.
Historically, the U.S. Navy’s older doomsday aircraft, the Boeing E-6 Mercury, made its way to the Spanish airbase at Rota after service in the United States. This relocation is noted in the context of ongoing readiness and strategic command needs.
Such aircraft have served to maintain a survivable, redundant communications link with ballistic-missile submarine forces and to support the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff as part of the air command and control structure. The role integrates the airborne layer of the national nuclear command and control system with the submarine-based leg, ensuring continuity of government response in a crisis, as reported by defense analysts and official briefings. [Attribution: defense analysis summaries]