Inside the E-4B 'Doomsday' 747 plane that follows the US President around the world in case of nuclear war

• E-4B 'Nightwatch' planes have been in operation since the 1970s
• They follow Air Force One when the US President travels abroad and one is kept constantly running 24 hours a day when he is in the US
• They are also called 'Doomsday' planes and are outfitted as military command centers in the case of nuclear war

There are four E-4B 'Nightwatch' planes, one is pictured in 2013, in a fleet that are made up of specially modified Boeing 747s that follow the President of the United States almost wherever he goes

Wherever Air Force One is in the world, an E-4B Doomsday plane isn't far away.

There are four E-4B 'Nightwatch' planes in the fleet that are made up of specially modified Boeing 747s that follow the President of the United States, particularly when he goes overseas. 

The planes are outfitted as complete command centers for the president and his top officials including the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the case of nuclear war or national emergency. 

These aircraft have unique capabilities that cannot be duplicated by any other aircraft that the Air Force use.

These planes are some of the most unique in the Air Force's total air fleet and are designed to be airborne military command centers

In the case of a nuclear attack or a national emergency, top Washington officials like the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff would go onto one of the E-4Bs. Pictured is a press 'briefing room' on the plane

The Doomsday planes can operate with the largest crew of any aircraft in the US Air Force at 112 people, both flight and mission personnel. Pictured is the conference room in the middle deck of the plane

The 'Advanced Airborne Command Post' planes have been operating since the 1970s during the Cold War, as one of the best ways to keep the president safe from a nuclear attack

The planes, also called 'National Airborne Operation Centers' when they are in-flight, have special equipment and have the capability to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world and support analysts and strategists on the flight.

The design of the plane is meant to survive an electromagnetic pulse with all the systems intact, even down to the fact that they still use traditional analog flight instruments because they are less vulnerable.

It is capable of operating with the largest crew of any aircraft in US Air Force history, at 112 people, both flight and mission personnel. The planes all have three decks

The planes also have in-flight refueling and has been able to remain airborne and operational up to 35.4 hours. Though it has been designed to be able to operate in-flight for a full week.  

The E-4Bs are operated by the First Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 595th Command and Control Group, are coordinated by the United States Strategic Command and are stationed near Omaha, Nebraska, at the Offutt Air Force Base. 

One of the planes is kept running at all times, with the engine running 24 hours a day at the Offutt base when the president is in the US. If an emergency happens, the plane is ready to meet with the presidents almost immediately. 

If he goes abroad, the E-4Bs follow and are known to the crews as 'Air Force One When It Counts', according to Politico.

The E-4Bs are operated by the First Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 595th Command and Control Group and their operations are coordinated by the United States Strategic Command

The E-4Bs can communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world and using a special five-mile-long trailing wire antenna, the planes can even communicate with the nuclear submarine fleet

When the president is in the US, there is always one plane with its engine on for 24 hours a day, ready to go pick up the president in case of an emergency. During the Cold War, there was a plane running at Andrew's Air Force Base

The planes have in-flight refueling and after a test, an E-4B was able to remain airborne and operational for up to 35.4 hours. Though they have not been tested, the planes were built to operate in-flight for a full week

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, pictured on a Doomsday plane in 2004, announced in 2006 that all four E-4Bs would be retired by 2009, though that number went down to just one being retired in 2007

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is pictured in an E-4B answering press questions in 2012

The planes are outfitted with special equipment including a wire antenna that keeps the president in communication with the nuclear submarine fleet, even if ground-based communications are destroyed. 

The E-4Bs were first operated in the 1970s during the Cold War. And through to the end of the war, one of the flying war rooms was kept constantly on alert at Andrew's Air Force Base, ready to lift off with the president in just 15 minutes. 

It was believed that these planes were the best way to keep the president safe in the case of nuclear attack.   

In 2006 there was talk that the E-4B fleet would be retired in 2009 when then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced his plan. Instead, just one of the fleet was retired in February of 2007. 

When Robert Gates took over as Secretary of Defense, he reversed the decision in May 2007 and the plane returned to the fleet because the planes have such unique capabilities.

(The Mail, UK)