OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) - Officials at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha say a tornado that tore through the base last week damaged 10 military planes - including two of the Pentagon’s four “doomsday” planes.
The Omaha World-Herald reports (https://bit.ly/2s7kNDZ ) that the tornado June 16 knocked out two of the E-4B Nightwatch aircraft that serve as aerial command centers for top military officials in case of a catastrophic national emergency.
The twister also damaged eight of the 55th Wing’s fleet of RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, which fly surveillance missions. Drew Nystrom, a 55th Wing spokesman, says seven of those planes sustained only minor damage, and six have been repaired.
Nystrom says the cost of the aircraft repairs hasn’t been determined.
A preliminary estimate says the storm caused up to $10 million in damage to other Offutt facilities.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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