[Article déjà publié le 16 septembre 2024]
In military aviation, many devices bear evocative nicknames which refer to their destructive capacity or what they could possibly announce. US Air Force Lockheed F-104 fighter plane was for example nicknamed the “Widowmaker”Or“ widow maker ”in French.
Therefore highlighting his ability to shoot down his unresolving target. For its part, the Boeing E-6 Mercury of the American army is nicknamed “the plane of the Last Judgment”. What announce a potentially destructive future.
Last judgment, a plane synonymous with nuclear war?
Let's not talk about an airplane, but several. To be precise, there are 18 in activity at present. Attached to the US Navy, the “planes of the Last Judgment” have not only a name that scares. No, they are normally, if they are used in the way they are planned, heralding a chaotic future.
Indeed, as reported Le Canard Enchaîné And THE JDDthe Boeing E-6 Mercury simply has the capacity and the vocation to “launch nuclear lightning”. Do not hear here that it is a bomber like the B-29 Enola Gay, the bomber who let go of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. No, “The plane of the Last Judgment” is A flying command post from which the President of the United States or one of his delegates can simply trigger the entire American nuclear arsenal.
Usually, it only flies above the United States because it is supposed to take over from the command posts on firm land if the latter found themselves out of service in the context of a nuclear war or A major cyber attack.
In short, if we see them, that would like to announce that a major attack could happen.
What was such a plane doing so far from home?
As we told you, the Boeing E-6 Mercury is supposed to fly only above American soil. However, on September 4, 2024, the American tracking site ALLNAV RADAR BOX Has highlighted one of these devices flying over the Aegean Sea accompanied by a tanker.
In other words, it was more than 8,000 km from the American capital. He was not lost and was not diverted. On the contrary. The presence of this plane was simply, according to various experts cited by Le Canard Enchaîné and the JDDa demonstration of force on the part of the United States. This “plane of the Last Judgment” wanted to be seen. Not by the general public, but by a particular man and government.
Indeed, according to a member of the French General Staff, whose remarks were relayed by Le Canard Enchaînéit would be “of a political display of the United States”. For what ? To show Vladimir Putin that he is under close surveillance and only a single misstep from him during the conflict with Ukraine, could lead the whole world into gigantic nuclear chaos.
But in addition to this demonstration of force on the part of the United States, “the plane of the Last Judgment” was also there to reassure the allies of America during this period of growing conflict and insecurity in Eastern Europe.
The characteristics of the Boeing E-6 Mercury
Flying command post, the Boeing E-6 Mercury nicknamed “the plane of the Last Judgment” does not look like a war plane as we imagine. He has no particular color and almost melted into the mass on an airport tarmac. Even if a gigantic symbol of the US Navy marks its membership in the American army.
As proof, here is its dimensions:
- Length: 45.8m
- Large: 45.2m
- Height: 12.9m
Once in the air, the quadriréactor is able to fly for three days for three days thanks to its supply airplane, a KC-135, it has a radius of action of 12,000 km and can fly beyond 40,000 feet, or Over 12 kilometers above sea level. On board, it can accommodate a crew of 14 people and even if it is a war building, it has no equipped weapons.
Source: Le Canard Enchaîné / Le JDD
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
