A U.S. doomsday plane is using the callsign 'Trump'

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/TheAviationist)

published 14 March 2016

Due to the unlikely-ish possibility of nuclear Armageddon, the United States attempts to stay ahead of the game by flying daily airplanes loaded with communications gear, known as "doomsday planes." The airplanes are a part of a mission called Take Charge and Move Out, which would direct nuclear submarines, bombers, and missile silos if there was an attack, War is Boring reports.

Normally the planes have fairly regular callsigns when they're crisscrossing the country, such as "Leon 55." Only, there is also a doomsday plane up there with a sense of humor — it is going by the callsign "Trump."

The plane was spotted on a publicly viewable broadcast when it took off Sunday from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. "Not sure the reason behind this callsign," The Aviationist wrote, speculating that "most probably someone thought it was funny to give a 'Doomsday' plane the name of the (controversial) candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States… Or maybe something else. Who knows?"

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.