E-6B Mercury

The E-6B Mercury performs two national-level missions: the TACAMO (Take Charge And Move Out) mission, providing a survivable VLF communications link to the U.S. ballistic missile submarine fleet, and the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) 'Looking Glass' mission for U.S. Strategic Command. The fleet operates from Tinker AFB in Oklahoma on modified 707 airframes.

The E-6B is scheduled for replacement by the E-130J, a C-130J-based TACAMO successor, with the ABNCP mission transitioning to a separate Survivable Airborne Operations Center based on the 747-8. The E-6B is a cornerstone of U.S. Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3).

Related Systems