Start News Sea Northrop Grumman Announces Team for USN’s E-XX TACAMO Requirement

U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury in-flight — The USN’s fleet of E-6B Mercury strategic communications aircraft will be replaced by a C-130J-based platform under the E-XX TACAMO programme. (Photo: USAF)

Northrop Grumman Announces Team for USN’s E-XX TACAMO Requirement

Peter Felstead

6. April 2023

Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Skunk Works, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Crescent Systems, and Long Wave have teamed to develop a solution for the US Navy’s (USN’s) E-XX TACAMO (Take Charge And Move Out) requirement, Northrop Grumman announced on 3 April 2023.

The USN’s E-XX TACAMO aircraft will be based on the Lockheed Martin C-130J transport aircraft and will provide the next generation of connectivity between the US political and military leadership and the USN’s ballistic missiles submarines (SSBNs) capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

The USN’s fleet of E-6B Mercury strategic communications aircraft will be replaced by a C-130J-based platform under the E-XX TACAMO programme. (Photo: USAF)

The USN currently operates a fleet of 16 E-6B Mercury aircraft in the TACAMO role. These platforms, based on the Boeing 707-300 aircraft, provide survivable, reliable and endurable airborne command, control and communications between the US political and military leadership and US strategic and non-strategic forces.

“Together, our team has vast knowledge and expertise in delivering critical command and control, and nuclear enterprise capabilities,” Henry Cyr, director of multi-domain command and control capture programmes for Northrop Grumman was quoted as saying in a company press release.

Peter Felstead