A Cold War era US military plane - dubbed the Flying Pentagon and able to withstand a nuclear blast - has been spotted flying over the UK.
The Nightwatch command-and-control Boeing 747 E4-B aircraft is one of a fleet kept in service by Washington since the 1970s to act as an airborne base for top brass in the event of a nuclear war.
Capable of staying in the air for days, the huge plane is designed to withstand the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast and conducts routine training and readiness missions with at least one kept on 24/7 readiness.
READ MORE - Shirtless Edinburgh man filmed in bizarre three-person stand off in city centre
The massive aircraft was spotted circling over Cambridge after flying from the US over the Atlantic, with plane watchers tracking its progress.
The Express reports how with tension mounting over the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO has vowed to increase resources on the Eastern Front of the continent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already placed his nuclear resources on full alert.
He has also refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons should there be an existential threat to Russia.
NATO forces have so far held back from becoming directly involved in any form of conflict.
The airborne command post is a mobile war room stuffed with military analysts, strategists and communications aides who would guide Joe Biden through the first days of a nuclear war.
While the planes are not technically secret, they are rarely mentioned and their full capabilities are classified.
Having taken off from Washington, and passed over the Atlantic and the English Channel, the aircraft is currently circling an area just north of Cambridge according to Flight Radar 24.
The aircraft appears to be headed for RAF Mildenhall.
Designed during the Cold War, the Nightwatch has three decks. It can hold a crew of 112 people and can fly for 12 hours without landing, – while aerial refuelling means it can stay in the air for days.
Its windows are reported to have wire mesh to keep them intact, while equipment and wiring on board are hardened and there is thermal and nuclear shielding in the event of a blast.
Inside, it has 18 bunks and six bathrooms, a briefing room, conference room, work areas and executive quarters – but unlike Air Force One the décor is said to be functional, befitting its military role.
The bubble on the top is called a “ray dome” or “radome” and contains dozens of satellite dishes and antennae which can communicate with any US ship, submarine or aircraft anywhere in the world.
Russia also has a “doomsday plane”, the Ilyushin Il-80, known as Maxdome.
But, in December 2020, Russian media reported that radio communication equipment from the plane had been stolen while it was undergoing maintenance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman has conceded that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refused to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons.
In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov repeatedly refused to rule out that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons against what Moscow saw as an "existential threat."
When asked under what conditions Putin would use Russia's nuclear capability, Mr Peskov replied, "if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be."
The United States condemned Peskov's "dangerous" comments.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday: "It's not the way a responsible nuclear power should act."
