Current Status
On October 1, 1998 the U.S. Navy's fleet of E-6Bs replaced the EC-135C in performing the "Looking Glass" mission, previously carried out for 37 years by the U.S. Air Force; unlike the original Looking Glass aircraft, the E-6Bs are modified Boeing 707 aircraft. This new mission allows the President and the Secretary of Defense direct command and control capability for America's strategic forces of ballistic nuclear missile submarines, intercontinental nuclear missiles and strategic bombers. With the assumption of this new mission, a battle staff now flies with the TACAMO crew.
If the USSTRATCOM GOC is unable to function in its role, the E-6B TACAMO can assume command of all U.S. nuclear forces. Flying aboard each ABNCP is a crew of 22, which includes an aircrew, an Information Systems Officer and team, an Airborne Emergency Action Officer (an Admiral or General officer), an Intelligence Officer, Meteorologist, and an Airborne Battle Operations Team. In addition to being able to launch ICBMs, the E-6B can communicate Emergency Action Messages (EAM) to nuclear submarines running at depth by extending a 2½-mile-long trailing wire antenna (TWA) for use with the Survivable Low Frequency Communications System (SLFCS).
There was some speculation that the "mystery plane" seen flying over the White House on September 11, 2001 was some newer incarnation of Looking Glass. However, as indicated by MGen Don Shepherd (Ret.), speaking on CNN on September 12, 2007, the plane circling the White House on 9/11 resembled an E-4B which was likely launched from Nightwatch ground alert at Andrews Air Force Base.
Due to its vast array of communications equipment, including secure voice and high bandwidth satellite, the Looking Glass has been used to support non-nuclear (conventional and covert) battle management missions, notably those associated with Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. In the early 1980s, Looking Glass was used in Operation Cobbler's Knee which provided temporary command post support to U.S. operatives in Honduras for what was later revealed as the Iran-Contra Affair. Supporting these and other conventional or covert battle management Operations is treated with great secrecy due to the extreme sensitivity of associating the Looking Glass with the potential for a nuclear option. Also, for similar sensitivities, neither the President nor the Vice President will ride aboard, nor typically visit while on the ground, the Looking Glass, lest the intelligence services of potential enemies perceive that activity as a preparatory step to a surprise U.S. nuclear launch.
Read more about this topic: Operation Looking Glass
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