US Nuclear Command Plane in ‘Unusual’ Flight off Greenland

A United States military command aircraft, capable of communicating with nuclear-armed submarines, was tracked on an “unusual” flight near Greenland, according to an expert.

The U.S. Navy confirmed on Thursday the deployment of the E-6B airborne command post, also known as Mercury, at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland for what it described as “routine operations” and exercises with nuclear submarines in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

“Naval Strategic Forces conduct global operations in coordination with combatant commands, services, and allies and partner nations, even in the High North,” Commander Jason Fischer, U.S. Submarine Force spokesperson, said in a statement to Newsweek.

Why It Matters

Facing the growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic, President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced interest in acquiring Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark, citing “national and international security.”

The deployment of the E-6B aircraft in Greenland follows Trump’s claim earlier this month that two nuclear submarines were positioned in the “appropriate regions” amid “provocative statements” made by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

Last month, an E-6B aircraft and the nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Maryland were spotted operating in the North Atlantic Ocean, whose presence the Navy confirmed, noting that it coordinates closely with allies and partners to address “shared security concerns.”

What Is The E-6B?

According to the U.S. Air Force, the E-6B provides “survivable, reliable, and endurable” command, control, and communications between the National Command Authority and strategic forces. The E-6B fleet is assigned to the Strategic Communications Wing 1 at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

The aircraft can transmit messages to nuclear-armed submarines beneath the ocean surface using a very low frequency communication system with dual trailing wire antennas. The primary antenna can be deployed for five miles, according to defense outlet The War Zone.

In addition to serving as a communications relay between the National Command Authority and submarines under the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission, the aircraft are…