Description: Communications relay and strategic airborne command post
aircraft. Provides survivable, reliable, and endurable airborne command, control,
and communications between the National Command Authority (NCA) and U.S. strategic
and non-strategic forces. Two squadrons, the "Ironmen" of VQ-3 and the "Shadows"
of VQ-4 deploy more than 20 aircrews from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma to
meet these requirements.
Background: 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 NCA 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.
Point of Contact:
Naval Air Systems Command
Public Affairs Department
47123 Buse Road, Unit IPT
Bldg. 2272, Suite 075
Patuxent River, MD 20670-5440
(301)757-1487
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