E-6B Mercury spotted out of Pax River

An E-6B Mercury, a U.S. Navy aircraft that serves as an airborne command post for nuclear forces, was spotted operating out of Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. The aircraft, identified by its tactical hex code #AF8404, was tracked by open-source intelligence observers. The E-6B's primary mission is to provide a survivable communications link to ballistic missile submarines and strategic bombers. Its flight activity is routinely monitored by military aviation enthusiasts.