Maintenance for U.S. Navy's Boeing E-6B Mercury Airborne Command Post Aircraft

: Posted On Monday, 24 August 2015 09:45

Naval Forces News - USA

Maintenance for U.S. Navy's Boeing E-6B Mercury Airborne Command Post Aircraft

The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded two contracts for the maintenance of the Boeing E-6B Mercury airborne command post. The E-6B is a dual-mission aircraft providing either airborne command, control, and communications or serving as an airborne strategic command post and is equipped with an airborne launch control system capable of launching U.S. land based intercontinental ballistic missiles

A U.S. Navy Boeing E-6B Mercury airborne command post flies over Solomons Island, Maryland (USA), on 15 November 2014. The E-6B is a dual-mission aircraft providing either airborne command, control, and communications or serving as an airborne strategic command post and is equipped with an airborne launch control system capable of launching U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles.
U.S. Navy photo

According to the contract announcements, DRS was awarded a contract for logistics support for maintaining and supporting the E-6B aircraft while Rockwell Collins received a contract option for the manufacturing of one Block I modification aircraft kit and one very low frequency transmit terminal kit for the E-6B Mercury aircraft.

Two squadrons, the "Ironmen" of VQ-3 and the "Shadows" of VQ-4 deploy 22 aircrews (for 16 aircraft) from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. to meet these requirements.

Boeing derived the E-6A from its commercial 707 to replace the aging EC-130Q in the performance of the Navy's TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out") mission. TACAMO links the National Command Authority with naval ballistic missile forces during times of crisis. The aircraft carries a very low frequency communication system with dual trailing wire antennas. The Navy accepted the first E-6A in August 1989.

The E-6B was conceived as a replacement for the Air Force's Airborne Command Post due to the age of the EC-135 fleet. The E-6B modified an E-6A by adding battlestaff positions and other specialized equipment. The E-6B is a dual-mission aircraft capable of fulfilling either the E-6A mission or the airborne strategic command post mission and is equipped with an airborne launch control system (ALCS). The ALCS is capable of launching U.S. land based intercontinental ballistic missiles. The first E-6B aircraft was accepted in December 1997 and the E-6B assumed its dual operational mission in October 1998. The E-6 fleet was completely modified to the E-6B configuration in 2003.