The US Navy has accepted the first E-6B Mercury airborne command post aircraft upgraded by Northrop Grumman, US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) reported on 6 June 2023.
The E-6B Mercury executes the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission, connecting the US president and defence secretary with naval ballistic missile forces during times of crisis, while its airborne command post mission facilitates the launch of US land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles using an airborne launch control system.
The type is flown by Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadrons 3 and 4, which operate 16 E-6Bs under Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1) out of Tinker Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma.
Northrop Grumman conducted the upgrades over the last year at its Aircraft Maintenance and Fabrication Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Under its integrated maintenance and modification contract (IMMC) with the navy the company will overhaul multiple E-6B Mercury aircraft by 2027. The USD 111 M (EUR 103.6 M) contract covers six major modifications – called Block II – to improve the aircrafts’ command, control and communications (C3) functions connecting the National Command Authority with US strategic and non-strategic forces.
Pilots from Strategic Communications Wing One (SCW-1) picked up the upgraded E-6B on 6 June and flew it home to Tinker AFB.
Block II will ensure the E-6B fleet can successfully execute its mission for years to come. Upgrades to the second aircraft are already underway.
“The delivery of the first IMMC aircraft is a monumental achievement,” said Bob Stailey, the E-6B deputy programme manager for the Airborne Strategic Command, Control, and Communications Program Office (PMA-271), which awarded and manages the maintenance contract. “We are delivering enhanced capabilities to the fleet quicker and ensuring they have the tools to successfully execute this critical mission for years to come.”
“Working with the navy, Northrop Grumman is getting closer to the contract’s required turnaround time of six months by implementing process improvements that span engineering, scheduling, management and production,” NAVAIR stated. “This is the first time a single company is responsible for the entire installation, reducing bureaucracy and improving speed.”
“An incredible amount of work went into this aircraft, which can now perform its nuclear deterrence mission better than ever,” said Captain Adam Scott, PMA-271 programme manager. “During the past year the team that fielded this capability worked tirelessly to implement improvements to deliver the Block II capability with urgency.”
Peter Felstead