The Private Plane of Vegan Arriving at Osan Base

The E-4B Air Force aircraft was also used when Robert Gates, then U.S. Secretary of Defense, visited Korea in 2009 and when James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, visited in 2017.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, will enter the country on the afternoon of the 7th through Osan Air Base. Deputy Secretary Biegun entered Korea through Incheon International Airport during his visit in December last year, but due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), he chose to enter via Osan Air Base using a dedicated aircraft.

According to government officials on the day, Deputy Secretary Biegun will arrive on an E-4B Air Force aircraft. The E-4B Air Force aircraft was also used when then U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited Korea in 2009 and when Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited in 2017. The E-4B is an aircraft practically exclusively used by the Secretary of Defense during overseas trips, but if approved by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State or other cabinet members can also use it.

It is called an "Airborne Command Post" because it performs functions such as directly issuing war execution orders to all forces in the event of a national emergency or destruction of ground command and control centers. For this reason, it is also nicknamed the "Doomsday Plane."

The E-4B can accommodate up to 112 people, including about 45 active-duty Air Force crew members and high-ranking government officials. The aircraft is divided into six zones: a suite room, conference room, briefing room, control room for Air Force crew, and rest facilities. It is known to be equipped with safety devices that can withstand electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks caused by nuclear warhead or electromagnetic bomb drops in case of emergencies.

The military authorities plan to provide immediate escort flight once the E-4B enters the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), considering that Deputy Secretary Biegun's status has risen to the second highest in the State Department since his visit in December last year when he was a nominee. The airborne early warning and control aircraft "Peace Eye" will also operate a surveillance network for North Korea. The U.S. Forces Korea are also expected to deploy F-16 fighter jets and U-2S high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.