What were the ‘Doomsday plane’ and electronic attack aircraft doing circling the Colorado skies this week?

Should we get our tinfoil hats out in Colorado?

Residents across the Pikes Peak region took to social media Monday (Mar. 30) after two unusual military aircraft were seen flying repeated laps over and around Colorado Springs, drawing curiosity — and some alarm — from onlookers on the ground.

The so-called “Doomsday plane,” officially designated the E-4B “Nightwatch,” departed Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, and flew into Colorado Springs airspace, where it made several wide loops before returning to its home base, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware. The aircraft flew under the callsign GORDO11, aviation spotters confirmed.

A second aircraft described as an “electronic attack” plane was also observed circling the area the same day, further fueling online speculation.

The E-4B is a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200 operated by the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt Air Force Base. It serves as the National Airborne Operations Center, a key component of the National Military Command System for the president, the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In the event of a national emergency or the destruction of ground-based command centers, the aircraft provides what the Air Force describes as “a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities.” Its ability to survive a nuclear electromagnetic pulse gives the E-4B its ominous nickname.

Military officials did not publicly comment on the purpose of Monday’s flights. The Colorado Springs area is home to several major military installations, including Peterson Space Force Base, the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, making training sorties over the region a relatively routine occurrence.