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Tornado damaged two U.S. Air Force E-4B 'doomsday' planes

By Daniel Uria
Two U.S. Air Force E-4B "doomsday" planes, like the one pictured above, were damaged and knocked out of service during a tornado at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 16. Photo Courtesy U.S. Air Force by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison
Two U.S. Air Force E-4B "doomsday" planes, like the one pictured above, were damaged and knocked out of service during a tornado at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 16. Photo Courtesy U.S. Air Force by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison

June 24 (UPI) -- A tornado at a U.S. Air Force base in Nebraska damaged 10 aircrafts including two E-4B "doomsday" planes.

The two E-4Bs, which serve as the military's National Airborne Operations Center during national emergencies, were knocked out of service when a tornado struck Offutt Air Force Base on June 16.

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In the event ground bases are destroyed, the "doomsday" plane acts as the command and control hub for the president, secretary of defense and joint chiefs.

The U.S. military has a total of four E-4B planes in the fleet, but officials said it would still be able to carry out a mission with half the fleet damaged.

"There is no impact to the E-4B's primary mission, so it remains capable of completing its National Airborne Operations Center," Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick Ryder told CNN.

Eight RC-135 reconnaissance aircrafts were also damaged by the tornado and six have since been returned to mission-capable status.

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