The Il-80: What To Know About Russias Version Of The US Doomsday Plane

In the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were the world’s two superpowers with vast stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Both planned for the doomsday of an apocalyptic nuclear Armageddon. The Americans built the E-4B Nightwatch as the emergency airborne command and control aircraft for the President in case of a nuclear attack (the Nightwatch are still always kept in a high state of readiness). The Soviets did the same, building the Ilyushin Il-80 “Maxdome.” As Russia considers itself a great power and the inheritor of the USSR, it continues to operate these “doomsday” aircraft.