A U.S. nuclear “sniffer” plane just took off from Offutt AFB in Omaha, home to U.S. Strategic Command and is now flying strange patterns across several northern states. This aircraft, the WC-135R Constant Phoenix, only goes up when there’s a serious nuclear concern. It’s one of just three in existence and is built to detect nuclear fallout in real time. Its launch comes right after reported Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and mounting threats of retaliation from Tehran. Last time this plane was in the air like this was right after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.